Recipe: Homemade Gyoza

They're small, they're delicious, and they're served in large quantity, making them the perfect home party dish!

The recent rise in gyoza popularity has led to the opening of a number of stylish stores across Japan (Gyoza. It, anyone?!), specializing in dumplings of all kinds, sizes and tastes. It’s not really a surprise because despite the image most of us have that it’s too much of a hassle to make them at home, gyoza isn’t difficult to make and it’s especially fun when you’re cooking them together with the family, kids and even friends. Highly versatile in nature, gyoza also gives you room to experiment by adding different fillings and ingredients and even making your own shapes if you want.

With that in mind, this week we’re sharing an easy gyoza recipe with the suggestion you use it for your next party at home with friends or family. You’re guaranteed to have lots of fun and learn a new recipe along the way. Once you make these delicious gyoza at home you’ll keep going back to make more because they taste yummy when made from scratch.

The ingredients you use for the filling can be easily changed. I recommend minced prawn or chicken for this recipe but you can also use pork or vegetables only.

Enjoy your gyoza making party and comment here to let me know how you got on. Enjoy!

You’ll need

• 25–30 gyoza skins
• A bowl of water for sealing the dumplings
• Vegetable oil
• 80ml cold water for steaming
• Sesame oil to season

Ingredients

*Makes 25–30 gyoza 

For the filling: 

• 200g minced prawn/ chicken or add more vegetables  
• 100g cabbage, finely diced
• 1 spring onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 3 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil salt and pepper to season
• 2 tablespoons potato starch

For the dipping sauce: 

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• A few drops of la-yu (chili-infused sesame oil) to taste

Instructions

How to make the dumplings

• Mix all the ingredients for the gyoza filling in a bowl together and set aside.
• Place the gyoza skins, a clean water bowl, teaspoon and large serving dish on the countertop before you start making the dumplings.
• Place a gyoza skin on the palm of your hand, take a heaped teaspoon of the filling and place it in the center of the gyoza skin (Photo A & B).
• Moisten the edge of the upper half of the gyoza skin by dipping your finger in the bowl of water and sliding it along the edge.
• Fold the bottom half of the gyoza skin over the filling so that it meets the moistened upper half (Photo E)
• Start to pleat by folding the edges (make one pleat in the middle and two pleats at either side)
• Press firmly on all pleats to ensure that the ingredients are secure within the gyoza skin. (Photo F) 

How to cook the dumplings

1. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat.
2. Place the gyoza on the pan and fry until the base of the gyoza is slightly golden.
3. Pour cold water around the edges of the pan and cover with a lid. Leave cooking for 10 minutes or until almost all of the water has evaporated.
4. Remove the lid and continue to fry until the water is fully absorbed.
5. Finally, drizzle sesame oil over the gyoza and fry until the base of the gyoza is golden brown.
6. Serve with the soy sauce and rice vinegar dipping sauce.

Using this recipe? Share your photos with us via Facebook or Instagram with a hashtag #savvytokyorecipe . Enjoy! Xx