Dumplings: 80 Dreamy Dumpling Recipes from Asia, features an exciting collection of sweet and savory dumplings from across China, Vietnam, Nepal, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. A few highlights include Pho Soup Dumplings, Prawn Crystal Flower Dumplings, Spicy Thai-Style Beef Dumplings, Vegan Mushroom & Cabbage Dumplings, and Black Sesame Tang Yuan. I will also be sharing a recipe for Krong Krang Nam Kati following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Smith Street Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Dumplings
Dumplings begins with a short introduction and an overview of dumplings before going over a few essentials and ingredients. As a note- if you are interested in the full set, I have previously reviewed the other books in the series- Noods and Rice.
The recipes in this book were developed by Billy Law. He has written and been the contributor of multiple books including Cook Korea, XXL, and Have You Eaten? Billy was also a finalist in Australia’s MasterChef Season 3.
Chapters are divided according to cooking style: Steamed, Fried, Boiled, Sweet, and Basics. The Basics chapter covers a selection of homemade wrappers, dipping sauces, and stocks.
The photography is provided by Emily Weaving. Every dumpling is paired with a full-page photo of the finished dish. There are also step-by-step photos with instructions on different folds for the dumplings.
Measurements are listed in Metric and US Customary. Titles are written in English or the romanized version of the original language. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, helpful notes, and tips.
Krong Krang Nam Kati
To pair with the review, I made Krong Krang Nam Kati from the Sweet chapter! These vibrant, tapioca-based Thai dumplings are boiled until translucent and served in sweetened coconut milk with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
The dumplings were such a fun project and come together with simply tapioca flour and water. To add some contrast to the coconut milk, parts of the dough are dyed with food coloring before shaping into the individual oval-shaped dumplings with distinct ridges. The headnote states this shape is reminiscent of gnocchi and gummy worms.
After forming, they are first cooked in simmering water until translucent, then finished for a couple of minutes in the sweetened coconut syrup.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before serving the Krong Krang Nam Kati with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
A Few Krong Krang Nam Kati Tips
The exact amount of food coloring needed will depend on the brand/type and how vibrant you want the colors. This particular recipe uses red and green food coloring and I used one drop of each (gel-based). I have also seen other colors such as blue, purple, or yellow.
These dumplings use a special mold to form that notable ridged shape. I rolled the pieces over a gnocchi board. You can also use a sushi mat or the back of a fork. Lightly dust the board and your hands with tapioca flour as needed to prevent sticking.
The texture from the tapioca flour will be very chewy, so take care to not make the dumplings too big. The small pieces should be about 3 grams (1/8 ounce) each.
More Dumplings
I also made Lamb Momos, Pangsit Goreng, Pork & Coriander Jiaozi, and Vegetarian Dumpling Miso Soup.
I was immediately drawn to the Lamb Momos paired with the homemade Tomato Achar (recipe in book). These Nepali and Tibetan dumplings are filled with a fragrant blend of lamb, onion, cilantro, chili, garlic, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and nutmeg, then steamed until tender. If avoiding meat, there is also a vegetable-based option.
Translating to ‘Fried Dumplings’ in Indonesian, these Pangsit Goreng are filled with a spiced ground chicken mixture, wrapped in homemade Wonton Wrappers, and fried until golden. To finish, they are paired with a sambal oelek-based dipping sauce.
There are quite a few Jiaozi options in the Boiled chapter. I picked the Pork & Coriander Jiaozi since I happened to have all the ingredients on hand at the time. These crescent-shaped Chinese dumplings are filled with a seasoned pork and cilantro mixture, then boiled until tender.
The Vegetarian Dumpling Miso Soup was such a comforting meal. The dumplings are filled with a cabbage, tofu, and carrot mixture, then served in a savory miso soup for a wonderful blend of flavors.
Dumplings is a great pick for those interested in East and Southeast Asian dumplings using a variety of styles and ingredients. There is an assortment of meat, seafood, vegetarian, and even vegan-based options for every occasion.
Many of the ingredients are starting to become more available in larger American grocery stores. A few items may require further searching such as dried shiitake mushrooms, Sichuan peppercorns, dried wood ear mushrooms, Thai basil, dark soy sauce, Korean glass noodles, glutinous rice flour, Shaoxing rice wine, lemongrass, dried chestnuts, pandan leaves, red bean paste, palm sugar, wheat starch, and more.
Krong Krang Nam Kati Recipe
Excerpt from Dumplings
Krong Krang Nam Kati
Ingredients
- 200 grams (7 ounces) tapioca flour
- 200 milliliters (7 fluid ounces) boiling water
- red and green food coloring
- white sesame seeds toasted, to garnish
Coconut Syrup:
- 500 milliliters (2 cups) coconut milk
- 200 milliliters (7 fluid ounces) water
- 120 grams (4 1/2 ounces) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put the tapioca flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water over and stir with a pair of chopsticks to mix it all through.
- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, knead in the bowl for 1-2 minutes, to form a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions. Keep one portion as a white dough; add 1-2 drops of red food coloring to the second portion and knead to make a pink dough; add 1 drop of green food coloring to the third portion and knead to make a green dough.
- Tear off a small piece of dough (about 3 grams, 1/8 ounce) and roll it into an oval shape.
- Using your thumb, firmly press the dough onto a gnocchi board or sushi mat, then smear and roll forward to create ridges so it looks like a little cocoon. Repeat with the remaining white, pink and green dough.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the dumplings, stirring occasionally to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the dumplings are slightly transparent.
- Remove with a wire strainer and transfer to a bowl of iced cold water to cool to room temperature.
- Place all the coconut syrup ingredients (coconut milk, water, caster sugar, and salt) in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add all the drained dumplings to the syrup and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Serve the dumplings in individual serving bowls, drizzled with the coconut syrup and garnished with sesame seeds.
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