So I tried a thing… and it worked. Here, I took the fried rice paper parcels that were all over my socials and turned them into cute-as-a-button crispy rice paper dumplings. All you need is a nifty little dumpling press or dumpling maker device, and before you know it you’ll have perfection on a plate. Drizzle with crispy chilli oil for some umami crunch and get stuck in.
Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings
3 rice paper rounds (about 22cm or 8.5 inches in diameter)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil , or chilli oil of your choice
soy sauce, to serve
Filling:
50g (1.5 oz) bean thread (cellophane/glass) noodles
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ tsp black peppercorns
100g (3.5 oz) pork mince
½ cup coarsely grated carrot
½ cup finely sliced red cabbage
1 tbsp fish sauce
Equipment:
2 x 8cm-diameter (just over 3 inches) dumpling presses
- Soak the bean thread noodles for 5 minutes in room temperature water until they’re bendy and pliable (they won’t be cooked at this stage).
- Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Once your noodles have finished soaking, add them to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse under tap water until cool to the touch – this will stop them from cooking further. Use scissors to cut the noodles into shorter lengths. Set aside.
- Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic and pepper to a rough paste.
- Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and garlic-pepper paste, then stir-fry for 10 seconds until fragrant. Next, add the pork to the wok, breaking it up with your spatula. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the pork is just cooked.
- Add the carrot, cabbage, noodles and fish sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the ingredients are well combined, the noodles are tender and the vegetables have just wilted. Transfer to a plate or tray and allow to cool completely.
- To make the dumplings, use scissors to cut each rice paper into quarters. Dip each quarter in a bowl of hot water. Place it onto a dumpling press and let it rest there until it softens. Repeat with another piece of rice paper and the second dumpling press.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of the cooled filling into the centre of each rice paper. Press the dumpling folder together to enclose the filling, pressing firmly a few times to seal it properly. Then carefully remove the dumpling and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining rice paper pieces and filling.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the dumplings (make sure they’re not touching each other as they tend to stick together). Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes or until golden, then carefully flip the dumplings over and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with remaining oil and dumplings. Drizzle the crispy dumplings with the chilli crisp oil and serve with soy sauce for dipping.
