I thought it would be fitting to start off the blog with my favourite food of all time: Gyoza.

Wontons, dumplings, jiaozi, potstickers, whatever you want to call em’, I dig it. I learned this recipe years ago from a friend who had returned from a trip to Japan. I prefer my gyoza pan fried but if you are looking to lighten up this recipe two easy ways are to steam them and to substitute the pork for ground chicken or turkey. Another suggestion if you want to save some time is to buy a pre-made coleslaw mix instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrots. If you are like me you can eat 20 of these and call it a meal but if you are normal I would suggest to serve these with my veggie fried rice.

Pork Gyoza

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: ~40 Gyoza

INGREDIENTS

For the Gyoza

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for pan frying
1 package circular wonton wrappers *if you can only find the square wonton wrappers then cut the corners off to make them circular
½ lb ground pork
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 large grated carrot
4 Finely chopped green onions
1 knob grated ginger (approximately 1 tablespoon) *ginger is easiest to grate from frozen
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾ cup of water *substitute broth for more flavour

For the Dipping Sauce:

4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar (or malt vinegar)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
A few drops of sesame oil
½ teaspoon sambal oelek

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground pork, shredded cabbage, carrots, green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. I get right in there and do this with my hands.

Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of filling onto the centre of the wonton wrapper. Using your finger, wet ½ of the circumference of the wonton wrapper with water. This will create the seal. Fold the wonton in half but do not seal the wonton just yet. To make the classic looking parcels you will need to create ½ inch folds in the wonton wrapper on the side that was not moistened. Continue this motion moving from one edge to the other while simultaneously sealing the gyoza.

Continue this process until the filling has been used.

At this point, the gyoza are ready to be cooked or to be frozen for later use.

Place the first batch of gyoza in a non-stick fry pan with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Add 4 tablespoons of water, cover and steam for an additional 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until all water has evaporated and the gyozas have begun to brown and lightly crisp. Repeat process for remaining gyoza. Serve with dipping sauce (simply combine all listed ingredients) and enjoy!