You're Throwing a Dumpling Party This Weekend (2024)

Growing up, my grandma's visits to our home meant one thing: All of the dumplings. She'd drop by on a Sunday morning, bags in tow laden with ground pork, tofu, vegetables, and packages of dumpling wrappers. My family would devote the entire afternoon to filling and pleating our way through hundreds of dumplings, as my dad would boil and pan-fry batches for us to eat as we worked. We'd freeze what we couldn't eat, to be pulled out on busy weeknights when none of us felt like cooking.

Dumplings are the singular best food to make for (and with) a crowd: They're cheap, easy, beginner- and kid-friendly, and cook up super quickly. The more hands you have on deck, the quicker the dumplings come together and the faster you can get eating. So why don't more people make dumplings at home? It's what Kenny Lao, who owned the popular (now-closed) NYC dumpling joint Rickshaw Dumplings for a decade, calls the "Lasagna Effect."

"People think there are too many steps," Lao says. "But with the proper setup, you can make literally hundreds in one sitting."

Lao recently stopped by the BA Test Kitchen to make us a batch of Japanese curry chicken dumplings from his book, Hey There, Dumpling!, and showed us how to set up a dumpling party for friends at home.

Meat-based fillings will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Photo: Christina Chaey

Christina Chaey

Prep Everything In Advance

At their most basic, dumplings are essentially wrappers, a meat and/or veggie filling, and a little water to seal it all together. Lao stocks up on storebought dumpling wrappers and stashes them in the freezer, then lets them thaw at room temperature at least a half-hour before he's ready to wrap. Not only can you make your dumpling filling up to two days in advance, it's actually better if you do—it's much easier to work with if it's well-chilled. Store your filling in airtight containers in the fridge, then set out just before you're ready to wrap.

You're Throwing a Dumpling Party This Weekend (2024)

FAQs

How many dumplings for one person? ›

Do your dumpling calculation planning on about 20 dumplings per adult. It sounds like a lot, but this way you're properly prepared in the case of some broken dumplings, which there will likely be. Plus, it's always better to have a few extras than not enough!

What is a dumpling made of? ›

Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture. Many recipes call for herbs, onions, grated cheese, or chopped meat to be rolled into the dough before cooking.

How long does dumpling filling last in the fridge? ›

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The filling itself will keep well for 3 days in the fridge. If you want to store your shaped dumplings, I always recommend freezing them. Whenever I make these I make a big batch to stash in the freezer for easy meals.

What do dumplings symbolize? ›

Dumplings are eaten during Chinese New Year because the dumplings themselves look like money pouches and are said to represent fortune and prosperity in the coming year.

What is the biggest dumpling challenge? ›

China is investigating a restaurant over a dumpling-eating contest that allegedly flouts anti-food waste laws. Those who finish 108 spicy dumplings at the fastest time win a free meal and the title "King of the Big Stomach".

Why should you only mix in one direction? ›

That is how you can get a good texture for the filling. If you stir and then reverse, you will break down. the texture and filling will be lose, won't join together.

Should you only stir in one direction? ›

There's no magic about what direction you stir. There's not even really any magic about always stirring in one direction, though if your stirring technique is bad, being told to pick a direction and stick to it can help improve it.

What happens if you put raw meat and cooked meat together? ›

Cooking can kill most food poisoning organisms – it is important not to spread the organisms from the raw food back to the cooked food. Keeping raw and cooked food separate stops the bacteria from raw food re-contaminating cooked food.

What does dumpling mean in a relationship? ›

1 tr to have a great attachment to and affection for. 2 tr to have passionate desire, longing, and feelings for. 3 tr to like or desire (to do something) very much. 4 tr to make love to.

What ethnicity eats dumplings? ›

Dumpling has been a mainstay in Chinese food culture for centuries, but there's hardly a consensus on what it actually is.

Why is it called dumpling? ›

The term emerged in English by the 17th century, where it referred to a small lump of dough cooked by simmering or steaming. The definition has since grown to include filled dumplings, where the dough encloses a sweet or savory filling.

What cut of pork is best for dumplings? ›

Some cuts that I like to use for pork: pork shoulder, pork butt, and pork belly. As for chicken, you can use chicken thigh or chicken breast, depending on your preference. Before you do this, its very important that you use a high quality and sharp knife!

Can you eat dumplings left out overnight? ›

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

How many dumplings does the average person eat? ›

On average,we eat about 100g~150g one time. That means the amount about 18~25 a time. And the dumplings have various of types which gets different fill-ins.

What is the serving size for dumplings? ›

A typical serving of four steamed dumplings has between 150 and 280 calories. Chinese dumplings, aka wontons, are packets of meat, vegetable or sweet filling inside light dough, served on their own or in soup. They may be steamed or fried — the healthiest option is steamed dumplings.

Can dumplings be a full meal? ›

In Nepal, steamed dumplings known as momo are a popular snack, often eaten as a full meal as well. They are similar to the Chinese jiaozi or the Central Asian manti.

How many dumplings can you boil at once? ›

Stir a small batch of dumplings into the water.

Cook a small number of dumplings at any given time. You can add about 8 dumplings to an average-sized pot. The dumplings should form a single layer at the bottom of the pan. Stir them in so they don't stick together.

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