When I was in Shanghai for a few months, I had the opportunity to take a dumpling-making class one Saturday morning. It was pretty easy, but the trick that made it so easy was that the filling had been pre-made for us - apparently, mixing the pork with wine and letting it set, etc, is the tough part of dumpling creation.
(Me in my dumpling-making attire, squinting one eye for some unknown reason. Not my best pic...but cool attire, no?)
I did, however, learn how to make the outer part - it's just flour, salt, and water (these ones - there are many different types, with different outside textures), just like making some types of flatbread. Which got me thinking - can we remodel our sandwich ideas? Wraps and dumplings aren't so different anyway, in theory!
Instead of making big sandwiches, here's an idea - take a bowl, and mix in water and flour until the consistency is thick without being clumpy. Add salt as appropriate (you can taste the mixture). When the consistency is right, take out clumps of the dough on a table and roll them into small, flat circles.
In the center of each small circle, place your sandwich material! Considering the dough will have to cook, put in stuff that will go well through the stove. Maybe some roast beef and cheddar? Some bacon or bacon bits and pepperjack? Some spinach and mozzarella? This part is up to you!
Then fold the dough around the sandwich ingredients - what I learned in dumpling class was to pinch the sides of the dough into each other, so that they stick together in a little riffle-like ridge design. Either like this:
or like this:
Put it through the stove (I'd say preheat 350 degrees) and wait until the outside is tinged golden (or has stiffened its consistency. Don't expect your consistency to look quite like the above pictures (these are rice-based doughs). Voila! You should have little mini dumpling sandwiches! (Essentially, mini sandwiches wrapped up entirely in their bread!)
Anyone tried this and like/not like it? Anyone have other mix-and-match cultural recipe ideas?
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Comments (9)
i call that banh bao !
Sounds interesting. One time I made a "taco" eggroll, I put taco meat, cheese, & lettuce in it. I don't think it turned out so great, though.
:)) I need to go back to Shanghai sometime since it's my hometown
I'm definitely going to try this! I make pelmenie all the time, which is a Russian dumpling. Delicious!
hahahah~ I've never heard this being called "Dumpling sandwiches" before! I've always known them as "bao zi" or "meat-filled buns."
They ARE delicious though. nom nom nom.
Hahah they are bao zi - with whatever insides you may choose! I was hesitant to use the Chinese name because I didn't think many people would recognize it, and I wanted everyone to read on. Maybe I should have used it!
in the philippines,it's called siopao
For Cambodians like me, we call it num bao. SO good.
viets call it banh bao. it tastes super awesome with a char sui filling