dim sum

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These buns are very delicious and popular especially in Hawaii which are known as manapua.  They are  usually pork filled and sof and fluffy.  They  are served in shops and  very popular in dim sum restaurants.  "Char siu" refers to the pork filling and the  "bao" means bun.  One bite of these and it'll leave you wanting to have more. 

Ingredients:  

1/2 c very warm water  

1 pkg or 1 T yeast 

6 c flour and 1/2 c for kneading 

1/2 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1 1/ 2 c milk 

1/2 c butter 

3 eggs + 1 for brushing buns 

Non stick spray

3" squares of parchment or commercial wax paper 

Filling:

1 T oil

1 lb char siu, diced (See recipe):  https://youtu.be/HiGPvUa-9v0 ) 

2 large onions, diced ( may use part jicama or water chestnuts) 

3-4 stalks green onion, chopped

1/4 c oyster sauce

1/2 c water mixed with 1/4 c cornstarch   

Heat oil in skillet.  Saute onions, then garlic.  Add char siu and oyster sauce; stir well.  Mix in cornstarch slurry and stir till thickened somewhat.  Stir in green onions and cool.    

Directions:

 Dissolve 1 T yeast and 1 t sugar in 1/2 c very warm water.  Let stand 5-10 minutes until bubbly.  In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt.  In small pot heat  milk and butter.  Butter doesn't have to melt.  Add slightly beaten eggs and yeast and stir.  Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the liquids in.  Mix everything together till a somewhat  sticky dough forms.  Spread some flour onto a board or smooth surface.  Pour out  dough and knead for about 10 minutes until nice and smooth.  Spray clean bowl with non stick spray.  Put dough in bowl, turn over to grease other side.  Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit on counter for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.  Punch down, bring edges to center, turn and let rise again (may take 30 min).  Pinch off pieces little bigger than a ping pong ball.  Flatten to a circular shape, place 2-3 T filling in center.  Bring edges to center and pinch close.  Spray 2  half sheet pans and place 12 squares of paper evenly on pan.   Place one bun on each square, smooth side up.   Let rise till doubled in size.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for15 minutes. Remove and cool on racks or paper.  Store in airtight container and refrigerate extras.  These freeze well.    

You won't believe how easy this is to make.   Add it to your list of favorite dim sum dishes.  Chinese sausage (lup cheong) and char siu add a delicate sweetness to this savory dish.  Eat it for lunch or any time of the day.  A popular item at Chinese restaurants where carts carry steamed and fried delicacies you can choose from.  You must use Chinese rice flour, no substitution.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb taro, peeled and cubed into 1/2" cubes

10 large dried shrimp, soaked 5-10 minutes, drained and chopped

1/4c char siu, diced

4 lup cheong, sliced, 3 for steaming, 1 for garnish

1 t ginger, minced

1 t garlic, minced

 3 stalks green onion, sliced, 2 for steaming and 1 for garnish

1 7/8 c rice flour

1 1/2 c water +1 1/2 c water for taro and seasonings

1 T oyster sauce

1 t sugar

1 t salt

1 t bouillon powder

Directions:

Heat wok, add 1 T oil, garlic, ginger, shrimp, lup cheong, char siu and saute 5 minutes.  Add taro and fry 5 minutes.  add salt, sugar, bouillon powder, oyster sauce and stir well.  Add 1 1/2 c boiling water, stir, cover and cook 5 minutes.  Oil 8 " round pan well.  In a bowl, mix rice flour and 1 1/2c water and stir till dissolved.  Add to taro mixture and blend everything together.  Pour into prepared pan.  Boil water in steamer, put rack and pan in, cover and steam 20 minutes.  Cook till firm.  Loosen edges and flip to right side on a cutting surface.  Garnish with green onions and lup cheong.  Cut into squares, wedges or diamond shapes.

Note:  May add 1/2 c larm see (Chinese salted black olives, rinsed to remove salt).

Won ton is a Chinese dumpling usually made with pork but can also be made with turkey, shrimp, beef or chicken.  They come in round or square skins. You can roll or fold them in many ways.  They are served boiled or fried in soups, noodles or as appetizers.  They can be frozen individually, then stored in ziploc bags for later use.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground pork or chicken

1 lb shrimp shelled, deveined, and chopped

1 T soy sauce

1 T oyster sauce

1 T wine

1 t sesame oil

2 t cornstarch

2 eggs

1/2 t pepper

1 t salt

1 T minced ginger

1 T minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped green onions 

Wrappers:

Square or won ton skins sold in 14 oz packages

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients.  Place filling on each skin and fold as desired.

The delicious flavor of sweet pork in a steamed bun is such a delicious treat in Hawaii. Sold in restaurants, convenience stores and even lunch trucks around the Hawaiian islands. 

Ingredients for bun:

2 c very warm water

4T sugar (1 in yeast, 3 in flour)

1 pkg yeast

5 c flour

1 t salt

1/4 c oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, add water, yeast and 1 T sugar.  Stir till dissolved.  Let stand till foamy (5-10 minutes).  Put flour, salt, 3 T sugar in large bowl and mix.  Add yeast mixture and oil.  Mix well.  Knead about 10 minutes on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.  Place in greased bowl or spray with Pam.

Turn over to grease the other side.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise till doubled.  Punch down, let rise again and punch down again.  Form into small balls, flatten and place about one tablespoon of filling in center.  Pinch, following video.   Place pinched side down on 4 inch parchment or commercial wax paper.  Place in steamer and steam for 15 minutes.  Remove steamer from heat.  Wait 5 minutes before opening.  If using a metal steamer, place a thin towel across the steamer to catch drippings.

Ingredients for filling:

1 T oil

1 large onion, diced

2 T garlic, minced

1 lb char siu, diced

1/4 c green onions, cut in 1/4" slices

1/4 c oyster sauce

1/2 c water

1/4 c cornstarch

Directions for filling:

Heat skillet, add oil.  Saute onion, then garlic.  Add char siu, mix well.  Stir in green onions and oyster sauce.  In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water

and pour into meat.  Stir well until somewhat thickened.  Cool.

 One of the  best known dim sum dishes to order in a restaurant.  Adults and children can hardly wait to order some from the rolling carts.   It is tender, juicy and is super easy to prepare.   Mix all ingredients together and it's ready to steam.   Whole  salted and fermented Chinese black beans are used in this recipe rather than the prepared bottled sauce.  A touch of dried mandarin or tangerine skins make it extra special. 

 Ingredients: 

 1 lb spareribs, cut in small pieces

3 T black beans, rinsed and smashed some with a spoon.  

3" piece of dried mandarin skin, soaked about 1 hour and cut into slivers  

1 T oyster sauce  

1/2 t salt

1 t sugar  

1/2 T soy sauce

1 T Chinese wine

1 T garlic, minced

1 T ginger, minced  

1 t sesame oil 

2 T cornstarch

Green onions, for garnish  

 Directions: 

 Mix all ingredients into a steaming dish.  Place in steamer with boiling water at bottom and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove, garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Look Fun also known as chee cheung fun, is a Chinese steamed rice noodle that can be made with different fillings.   This dim sum  is only one of many varities  served in  restaurants.  It is also one of the easiest ones to make using only 3 ingredients + water.   It is soft and easy to digest and is a favorite for any time of the day.  You can easily make it at home (I guarantee it) and everyone will enjoy these rolls.  It is very popular in dim sum restaurants.

Ingredients:

2 T wheat starch (https://amzn.to/3PpNgR2)

1/2 c rice flour (https://amzn.to/39tdbXS)

2 T tapioca starch (https://amzn.to/3syRaO0)

1 1/4 c water

Plate grabber (https://amzn.to/3m08est)

Directions:

Mix flour and starches together in a medium size bowl.  Stir in water until smooth and there are no lumps.  Set aside.  Spray flat cake pan with cooking spray.  Place wire rack in wok.  Add water till just below rack.  bring to boil, place greased pan on rack and heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir batter, making sure no sediment is on the bottom.  Pour a thin layer into pan, covering the entire surface.    Leave plain or sprinkle toppings as suggested below.  Cover and steam 5 minutes.  Remove pan with plate grabber.  Carefully using spatula and dough scraper.  If you are making several batches, be sure to check the water level as it evaporates quickly.  Roll up and place on platter.  Cut in pieces and serve with desired sauces or drizzle sauce over the whole roll.

Fillings:

Char siu, diced small  (see video): https://youtu.be/HiGPvUa-9v0

Fresh shrimp, whole or rough chopped, seasoned with sesame oil, 

white pepper and salt

Dried shrimp, minced or ground

Lup cheong, precooked and chopped

Green onions, chopped

Mushrooms, small diced and sauteed with onions and oyster sauce

Sauce Ingredients:

1 T dark soy sauce

1 T regular soy sauce

1/4 c water

2 T sugar

1 t sesame oil

1 T oyster sauce

Sauce Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil.  Pour over look fun or dip pieces in sauce.

Other Suggested  Sauces:

Soy sauce

Kimlan soy paste

Oyster sauce

Hoi sin sauce

sweet chili sauce

various chili sauces

Note:

You may use the regular steamer, bamboo steamer or a large pot or deep frying pan with a rack.

 Siu Mai is the Cantonese word for steamed pork hash enclosed in a round  won ton wrapper.  It is of the dim sum family and in Hawaii it is simply known as "pork hash".  Siu mai is sold in restaurants where people eat dim sum breakfasts with a myriad of steamed, baked, and fried delicacies.  It can be bought at delicatessens, fast food chains, grocery stores and is eaten any time of the day.  Children especially love these treats as an after school snack along with other dim sum samplings.  It is simple to make and no special skill is necessary to form the siu mai. 

 Ingredients:

 How to make the pork hash filling:  https://youtu.be/KM0GjoYI8J4 

Round won ton wrappers, found in Chinatown or any most Asian grocery stores.      

Directions:  

Put about 2-3 T filling in center of wrapper.  Squeeze gently, forming a ruffled edge. See video for explicit instructions.  Line steamer pan with parchment paper.  Place each siu mai on paper so they don't touch each other. Steam for 20 minutes.  Carefully remove siu mai and place on serving plate. Note:  Don't make them too early as the moisture from the meat causes the raw skins to stick to any surface.  If you're waiting more than half an hour, place a tray of raw siu mais in the freezer until ready to steam.  Likewise, if you want to freeze uncooked siu mai, place them on a tray until firm to the touch, then place them in a plastic bag for storage.  This way you can take out a few at a time to steam.  You can also cook them in a rice cooker, but put some water in the bottom, a rack or plate lined with parchment and some siu mais on top.          

 Pot stickers are closely related to won tons and mun doo (Korean).  They all have pork fillings but may be folded differently, cooked for soup or fried.  These are good as appetizers for parties or any special occasions.

 Ingredients:

Pork hash filling Round won ton wrappers

Water for sealing

How To Make The Filling: https://youtu.be/KM0GjoYI8J4 

 Directions:

 Put 2-3 T filling in the center of a won ton wrapper.  Wet the top half of the circle, fold in half gently.  Pinch the center to seal.  Wet the outside cut edges.  Make three pleats on the left side of the top layer only, then pinch the two layers together to seal.  Do the same to the right side of the top layer,  pinch the two layers together to seal.  It really is simple to make don't be intimidated. Shape will curve naturally.  See video for explicit instructions.  Do a few at a time as the skins tend to stick to any surface.  If doing many, put on a tray or plate and freeze  till firm to the touch.  Bag extras and cook frozen.  To prepare, heat skillet and spray frying pan with cooking spray or brush with a little oil.  Lay pot stickers flat side down not touching each other.  Fry on medium heat, 3-4 minutes till golden brown.  Be careful not to burn, check often.  Slowly add 1/4 c water or chicken stock, cover and cook another 3-4 minutes.  It is now ready to serve.