Ingredients

• Handcrafted Dumpling Wrappers (30 Wrappers): 2 cups white wheat flour or Tipo 00 flour (250g), ¾ cup boiling water (180ml), ¼ tsp salt, 1½ tbsp vegetable oil, extra flour for rolling.

• Soup Jelly (Broth Gelatin): 500 ml water, 2 tsp chicken stock powder, ½ tsp minced ginger, 1 green onion (finely chopped), ¼ tsp salt, 2 tsp agar-agar powder (for set broth).

• Meat Filling: 300g prepared soup jelly (chilled and finely chopped), 300g ground chicken thigh or breast, 1 green onion (chopped), 1 tsp minced ginger, ¼ tsp sesame oil, ½ tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (or rice cooking wine), 1 tbsp light soy sauce, pinch of white pepper, pinch of salt, ½ tsp palm sugar (optional).

Method

1. 01

   Prepare Soup Jelly: In a saucepan, bring 500ml water to a boil with chicken stock powder, ginger, chopped green onion, and salt. Add agar-agar powder and whisk continuously for 2–3 minutes over medium heat. Pour into a shallow container and chill in the refrigerator until completely firm.

2. 02

   Make Dumpling Dough: In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Gradually pour in boiling water while stirring with wooden chopsticks or a spoon. Once combined, transfer to a floured surface, add oil, and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room
   temperature for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Prepare Filling: Finely chop 300g of the chilled soup jelly. In a bowl, combine minced chicken, chopped soup jelly, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, white pepper, salt, and palm sugar. Mix thoroughly until sticky.

4. 04

   Roll Wrappers: Divide rested dough into 2 logs, then slice each log into 15 equal portions (30 total). Roll each piece into a thin circle (8–10 cm in diameter), dusting with flour as needed. Keep covered to prevent drying.

5. 05

   Fill & Fold Dumplings: Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with water, pleat the edges clockwise, and pinch firmly at the top to seal completely.

6. 06

   Steam or Pan-Fry: Arrange dumplings 2 cm apart in a lined bamboo steamer. Steam over boiling water for 6–8 minutes until dough is translucent and filling is cooked through. (Alternative: Pan- fry in a lightly oiled pan for 2 minutes until bottoms crisp, add water to ⅓ height, cover, and steam until cooked). Serve hot!