Known as gyoza in Japan, these crescent-shaped dumplings are delicious filled with various meat or vegetables. Here, tender minced pork is spiced with Togarashi, ginger, garlic and soy and covered in sesame seeds for an extra crisp base.

However, the real star of the show is the chilli dipping sauce – an umami bomb containing garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, spring onion and lime – that offers an addictively delicious way to enjoy the dumplings.

Recipe by East After Noon

Prep time: 35 mins /Cook time: 10 mins /Serves: 2-4

Ingredients for the chilli sauce:

• 2 spring onions, very thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, seeded and very thinly sliced
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
• 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
• 5ml each white and black sesame seeds
• 5ml Togarashi spice
• 10ml dried baby shrimp (optional)
• 50ml neutral oil, like avocado
• 10ml sesame oil
• 20ml soy sauce
• 10ml rice wine vinegar
• 10ml mirin
• 10ml fresh lime juice

For the filling:

• 500g pork mince
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Togarashi spice
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the dumplings:

• 1 packet of readymade gyoza or wonton wrappers, thawed
• White sesame seeds, enough to lightly cover the base of a side plate
• Coconut oil, for frying

Method:

For the sauce, combine the white parts of the spring onions with the chilli, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, Togarashi and baby shrimp if using in a deep bowl. In a small pot, gently heat the avocado oil with the sesame oil until a wooden chopstick bubbles at the end when inserted. Pour the hot oil over the ingredients and leave the mixture to settle before adding in the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin and lime juice. Add in the green parts of the spring onion and stir to combine. Set aside the sauce until needed.

For the gyoza, combine all the dumpling filling ingredients in a large bowl. Dust a cold, clean work surface with cornflour to prevent the dumpling wrappers from sticking. Have a small bowl or glass filled with water at the ready.

Lay out a dumpling wrapper and place about a teaspoon of filling in the middle of it, taking care not to overfill. Moisten a small pastry brush or your fingertip with water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Gently fold the wrapper into a half-moon shape, pressing out any air pockets around the filling. Holding the half-moon by the edges, press the base into the work surface to flatten it. Brush a little water over the flattened base and press gently into the plate of sesame seeds. The seeds form a crisp crust on the dumpling as it fries.

Repeat with the rest of the filling.

Heat about a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large, lidded saucepan and place the dumplings – flat-side down – in the oil. Cover the saucepan with the lid and cook on high heat for 30 seconds. Pour in 150ml of water and close the lid tightly, leaving the dumplings to steam for 5 to 8 minutes before reducing the heat and letting the dumplings fry until crisp and golden on the bottom.

Serve the dumplings immediately with the chilli dipping sauce, fresh spring onion and a few glasses of 2022 Leopard’s Leap Shiraz.