These Thai-style Kanom Jeeb dumplings are little parcels of joy—soft, juicy, and packed with the punchy flavours of pork, shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp. They’re the kind of appetiser that disappears within minutes at a dinner party or family gathering. The mix of sesame oil, soy, garlic and white pepper brings an irresistible savoury aroma, while the sweet soy dipping sauce and mustard add the perfect final flourish. You can even freeze these for quick dinners or unexpected guests… talk about a kitchen win!
Brought to you by
Dumpling Filling:
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp dried shrimp
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp whole white peppercorns
300g pork mince
1 egg
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp Thai soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion
50 sheets gyoza or wonton wrappers
To Serve:
2 tbsp crispy fried garlic
Mild mustard
Dipping Sauce:
4 tbsp Thai soy sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
½ tsp Thai black soy sauce (or kecap manis)
¼ tsp white sugar
- Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl , soak the dried shrimp in warm water for the same amount of time.
- Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic and white peppercorns into a rough paste.
- Once rehydrated, remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop the caps. Add these to a food processor along with the drained dried shrimp, pork mince, egg, chicken stock, cornflour, sesame oil, Thai soy sauce, fish sauce and sea salt. Process until the mixture is sticky and well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the chopped spring onion.
- Use a 6.5cm cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dumpling wrappers (optional). Place a wrapper in your palm, then add a heaped teaspoon of filling to the centre. Shape into an open-topped dumpling, using your fingers to gently squish it into place, like a traditional siu mai.
- Line a steamer with perforated baking paper. Steam the dumplings in batches for 12 minutes or until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
- To serve, transfer the hot dumplings to a platter. Sprinkle with crispy fried garlic and serve with the dipping sauce and mild mustard on the side.
- Notes: – Save the leftover wrapper off-cuts and freeze them—chuck them into soups as ‘noodles’ next time! – Dumplings can be frozen raw for up to 2 months. Steam straight from frozen, adding 5 minutes to the cook time. – Fried garlic is usually found in the Asian aisle of major supermarkets or from your local Asian grocery store.
