Having the right snacks by your side while you binge watch all your favourite K-dramas is important. From Korean fried chicken and gyeran-bbang to tteokbokki, there are plenty of yummy light bites you can choose from. But if you'd like something closer to an an appetizer that can fill you up, we think Korean dumplings (also known as mandu) are the perfect choice! Read on to see how you can make these delightfully savoury pockets with this halal mandu recipe.
Ingredients (yields 25)
For the dumpling skin
- 25 dumpling wrappers (You can easily find these at your local supermarkets or get them online. If you'd like to make your own from scratch, you can use this recipe to guide you along)
- Water, to seal wrappers
For the filling
- 1 ½ cup kimchi
- 8 oz firm tofu, minced
- 4 oz (180g) minced chicken or beef
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ½ tbsp garlic chives, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- Black pepper to taste
Other
- Cooking oil
- ¼ cup water (This is a measurement for one use. If you’re doing multiple batches, simply increase the amount of water accordingly)
Directions
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and mix them well.
- Place a single dumpling wrapper in the centre of your palm and add the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Dip your finger in some water and lightly wet the edge of the wrapper. Seal the wrapper, encasing the filling completely. There are several ways to do this so check out the video below to see some examples:
- Repeat step 2 with the remaining dumpling wrappers. Once they're all filled, it's time to cook them! There are two ways you can cook the dumplings - pan fried or steamed.
- To steam, simply place a baking paper at the bottom of a steamer and place your dumplings on top. Cover with a lid and place the steamer on top of a pot with rolling boiling water. Let it steam for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium-high heat. To pan-fry, add cooking oil in a pan and cook the dumplings over medium-high heat until the bottom of the dumpling is gold brown. Reduce heat to medium low, add water and cover with a lid. Let it steam for about 5 minutes or when almost all the water has disappeared.
- Serve and enjoy!
Making mandus at home is a fun cooking project that you can get your family and friends to join in on. With plenty of hands to help you out, you'll be having a dumpling party that's perfect for your all-day K-drama viewing ?