Mandu is a Korean dumpling that is similar to the Chinese jiaozi or the Japanese gyoza. Mandu can be filled with a variety of ingredients, such as meat, vegetables, tofu, and noodles, and can be boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried.
Here’s a recipe for pork and vegetable mandu:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup finely chopped napa cabbage
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 50-60 mandu wrappers (available at Asian grocery stores)
- Water
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, napa cabbage, onion, scallions, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands until the filling is thoroughly combined.
- Place a mandu wrapper on a clean work surface and spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of the wrapper.
- Dip your finger in water and moisten the edge of the wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper in half to create a half-moon shape and pinch the edges together to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- To cook the mandu, you can boil them in a pot of water, steam them in a steamer basket, or pan-fry them in a little oil. To boil, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the mandu. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the mandu are cooked through and the wrappers are tender.
- Serve hot with soy sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Mandu can be frozen for later use. To freeze, place the uncooked mandu on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen mandu to a plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, simply boil, steam, or pan-fry the frozen mandu without thawing first.
