Shumai

Shumai or Siu Mai wasn’t necessarily always our first choice at Sunday dim sum. It was usually dominated by steamed pork ribs, chive dumplings, sticky rice, and congee. But in the end, we always had a little room on the table for some traditional shumai, and it would end up on the table in one way or another.

We’ve already posted a recipe for shumai: the vegan version made with shiitake mushrooms and sticky rice. This traditional siu mai dim sum recipe yields the same ones you find in the restaurant: made with a pork and shrimp filling, flavored with fragrant ginger and scallion.

Try making this shumai recipe this weekend. They are seriously awesome—dare we say, just as good as what the dim sum ladies are hawking (and it goes without saying that they’re way better than anything that you get in the freezer aisle of your Asian grocery).  

Double dare you to try them and be happy this weekend!

Shumai: Recipe Instructions

To make the filling, start by mixing the pork with the sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, water, and sesame oil. Stir the ground pork in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) for 5 minutes, until it resembles a fine paste. In a separate bowl, mix the chopped shrimp with salt and oil. Mix one direction for 1 minute and set both mixtures aside in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and scallions. Add these to a large bowl along with the pork mixture and shrimp mixture. Add the oyster sauce to the bowl, and stir the whole thing together in one direction for 5 minutes. You can also do this in a food processor, but I think mixing by hand gives it a better texture. The filling is ready. Lightly brush the bottom of your steamer with oil or line it with damp cheesecloth. You’re ready to assemble the shumai. Take an egg dumpling wrapper, and add about 1 ½ teaspoons filling to the center. Follow the photos and turn up the sides of the wonton skin around the filling. Lightly squeeze to shape the shumai. Add the green peas to the top for decoration, if using, and place in the bamboo steamer. Space the shumai about 1 inch apart. Steam the shumai for 12 minutes over medium to high heat. See our post on how to set up a steamer if you’re not familiar with steaming foods in Chinese cooking. Enjoy these Siu Mai dim sum treats while they’re hot!