Ham Sui Gok (Cantonese Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

Instructions

1. 1

   In a heatproof bowl, combine the wheat starch and boiling water. Mix with chopsticks or a spoon until all the wheat starch is moistened. Cover and set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the sticky rice flour, sugar and salt. Add the room temperature water, and stir until well-combined.

2. 2

   Next, add the wheat starch dough and lard to the large mixing bowl. Knead everything together for about 10 minutes until you have a soft dough ball. Use a little sticky rice flour if the dough gets too sticky during kneading, but try not to use too much or the dough will be dry. It should be pliable without cracking and stiff enough to hold its shape. If your dough cracks, you need a little bit more water. If the dough droops or sags, you need a bit more sticky rice flour.

3. 3

   Cover the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

4. 4

   Soak the shiitake mushrooms in cold water overnight or in boiling water for 2 hours. Squeeze them dry, finely chop, and set aside. (Save the mushroom water.)

5. 5

   Heat your wok over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the oil, garlic, ginger and shallots. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the pork, and stir-fry until it’s opaque. Next, add the shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and salted turnip. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

6. 6

   Add the water or mushroom soaking liquid, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five spice powder. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add salt to taste. Next, add the cornstarch slurry, stirring until the mixture thickens. Remove from the wok and cool. Once cooled, mix in the cilantro, and the filling is ready.

7. 7

   Once the dough is done chilling, divide it into 14 equal pieces, each weighing about 50g. Cover them with a kitchen towel to keep them from drying out.

8. 8

   Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it into a smooth ball between your palms, then create a crater, pressing around the “crater” walls to even them out. Add 1 tablespoon filling to the well you made in the middle, and seal the opening to create a half-moon shaped dumpling.

9. 9

   Repeat the process with how ever many you want to serve. Store in the refrigerator for later if you don’t need all 14 of them. It’s best to fry them fresh when needed, rather than re-heating cooked ones.

10. 10

    Fill a small, deep pot about halfway with oil (i.e. deep enough to submerge the ham sui gok). Place over medium-high heat until the oil temperature reaches 325°F/163°C. Carefully lower 4-5 ham sui gok into the oil, stirring gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot or each other.

11. 11

    After frying for 1 minute, turn off the heat, and continue frying in the residual heat for another 7-8 minutes, or until they float to the surface. At this point, the dough is cooked through, and the oil temperature will have fallen to around 280°F/138°C. After 8 minutes, turn on the heat to medium-low and fry for another 7 minutes to crisp up the outside of the ham sui gok, adjusting the heat to keep the oil temperature around 310-325°F (154-163°C)—no higher.

12. 12

    If the oil temperature is too low, the ham sui gok may deflate once out of the fryer. If the oil temperature is too high, they will burst open. I had these in Shenzhen recently (see pictures below). They also deflated a little, but if this happens to you, don’t worry. It does not affect the taste!