Lunar New Year Potstickers

January 27, 2022

Author: KatieChin

Gung Hay Fat Choy!! Lunar New Year is this Tuesday, February 1st and it’s the Year of the Tiger. Lunar New Year is a very special holiday as everything you eat on this day and everything you do determines how your entire year will unfold. Chinese people eat things like Long Life Noodles to symbolize longevity (the longer the life the longer the noodle!) or a whole steamed fish to symbolize abundance. I like to serve my family and friends Potstickers on Chinese New Year because they symbolize prosperity and riches as the dumplings resemble gold ingots. This recipe is made with pork but you could substitute with ground chicken or turkey. It’s also totally okay to use store-bought potsticker wrappers. You can find them in the produce section of most grocery stores. If you only find the square kind then cut of the edges with a cookie cutter to form a round shape. Kids have fun making these and love gobbling up their creations. Serve with a yummy dipping sauce made with premium soy sauce and sesame oil.

Ingredients

8 ounces napa cabbage, cut into thin strips
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound lean ground pork or chicken
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon white wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
dash white pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 4 tablespoons oil
Store bought round dumpling wrappers
Dipping sauce:
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Cut the celery cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.
In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork or chicken, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Moisten the top edge of the dumpling wrapper withh some water. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the dumpling wrapper.
Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch several pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.
Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 mintues or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
To make the dipping sauce, combine the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with dumplings.

https://chefkatiechin.com/our-recipes/lunar-new-year-potstickers/

I hope you enjoy these Potstickers with your family on Chinese New Year. It’s a day filled with laughter and good cheer. Get your whole family into the act and dress everyone in red for good luck. Other rituals include not sweeping on Chinese New Year day, so you don’t sweep out all your good luck and don’t scold your kids because only positive sentiments should come out of your mouth. My personal favorite is making sure you step into new shoes on Chinese New Year day so you start the year off on the right foot. Wishing you much happiness, prosperity and good health in the New Year!