Har Kow /Shrimp Dumplings.

Living here in US ,I sometime do crave for good dim sum. I find the dim sum here doesn't taste as good as the one back home. One of my favorite is “har kow’. The translucent skin and the sweetness of the shrimps are just delicious. Making ‘har kow’ is really easy especially over here you can get those ready pack flour to make the skin. All you have to do is mixed the flour with some hot water and you are good to go. Of course is easier just to buy it but I think food taste better when you make it yourself and is also much healthier as you know what ingredient you put into this little gems.

The key to perfect har kow is the skin must not be too thick and the shrimps have to be really fresh.

Ingredients :

1 packet of the shrimp dumplings flour
3/4 cup of hot water - more or less
1/2 salt

Filling :

1/2 pound of fresh shrimps - clean, shelled and roughly chopped
1 cloves of garlic - minced
2 spring onions - chopped
1/2 tsp of finely chopped ginger
a small bunch of cilantro (optional)
1 egg white
1 tbsp of cornstarch
1 tsp of cooking wine
1/2 tsp of sesame oil
salt and white pepper to taste

1) Mixed all the filling ingredients and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour.
2) Reserved about 3 tbsp of the flour. Combined the rest of the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour hot water in and mix it with a wooden spoon. Stir it until it became doughy.
3) If is too floury add a bit more hot water to it until it comes together and workable by hand. Pour the dough out on a working surface and knead until smooth.
4) Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 min.

5) Flour the work surface and roll out the dough into a log and cut it into small pieces.
6) Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and cut it round with a cookies cutter.

7) Put some filling into the center of the dough and wrap it up like how you fold a potstickers.
8) Grease a plate for steaming and steam the 'har kow' for 10 min in boiling water.
9) Serve warm.