Gyoza dumplings are the Japanese version of the Chinese "jiaozi" dumplings. Like regular dumplings, they consist of vegetables with a choice of meat with a thin dough wrapping, sealed together by "crimped" edges. Gyoza dumplings differ from the Chinese version in their slightly more prominent garlic flavour, as well as the way they are lightly flavoured with soy and salt. They are also much thinner than the Chinese version, creating a light and deliciously flavoured dish. Gyoza dumplings are widely popular in China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and also in Canada. Learning how to make this unique and extremely popular snack is something you - and the consumers - will no doubt enjoy.

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[edit] Ingredients

5 oz of pork
3 large shrimps
1/8 of a head of Napa cabbage
1/4 of a bunch of Chinese chives
20 gyoza wrappers
1 teaspoon of ginger
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of white pepper
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of sesame oil

[edit] Steps

Prepare the ingredients. Chop the chives & cabbage. Peel and peel and devein the shrimp, and grate your ginger & garlic.
Combine the pork, shrimp, cabbage, ginger, garlic, salt, white pepper, and the oils into a large bowl.
Mix everything together well with your hands, making sure the mixture isn't lumpy or uneven. Place the bowl into the refrigerator, and then leave it for about 10 minutes.
Take a gyoza wrapper and place a small spoonful of the mixture in the middle. Dab a little water on one half of the wrapper's edge and securely fold in two to make a semi or half circle. While folding, pinch the two sides together like a Ziploc bag and create waves while pinching. Repeat this step for all the wrappers. This is called "crimping", the way to seal up the edges of the dumpling.
Oil and heat a skillet on the stove. Put it on medium heat and carefully drop a few dumplings into the skillet at a time, but be sure not to overload the skillet with everything.
Fry the dumplings for about two minutes, then reduce the heat.
Add about half a cup of water to the skillet and cover it with a pan lid. Steam the dumplings until the water has evaporated or boiled off and then remove the food from the heat.
Place the dumplings onto a plate and serve with dipping sauce or soy sauce (shoyu). Gyoza dumplings are mainly served with a soy based tare sauce, which you can season with rice vinegar. The dumplings are best served while still steaming hot.

[edit] Tips

The pork can be substituted for shrimp, ground beef, chicken, or fish. In Japan, Gyoza dumplings are commonly made up of minced pork, garlic, cabbage, Chinese chives, and seasome oil, but you can create your own recipe.
This recipe makes 20 dumplings and can serve 2 to 3 people.
Presentation can earn you some bonus points - and make the snack seem that much more tasty! In Japan, the presentation of a meal is very important, so if you're serving these up at a somewhat "special" occassion, get creative and use some attractive plates and arrangement.