SHAO MI RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine the pork, water chestnuts, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, ginger, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine (hands work well for this). Place a dumpling wrapper in the palm of one hand and cup it loosely. Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. With your free hand, gather the sides of the wrapper around the filling, letting the wrapper pleat naturally. Squeeze the middle gently and tap the dumpling to flatten the bottom so that it can stand upright. The meat filling will show a little at the top. Make the remaining dumplings in the same manner.
• Arrange filled dumplings about 1/4 inch apart in two steamer trays that have been lined with wet cheesecloth. (At this point, you can refrigerate dumplings, covered, for 24 hours.)
• When ready to steam, fill a wok or lower part of a steamer with water so that it comes within an inch of the steamer tray, and bring to a rolling boil. Stack the steamer trays in the wok or steamer, cover tightly, and steam dumplings for 20-25 minutes over high heat, reversing the trays after 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer dumplings to a platter and serve with Spicy Dipping Sauce.
• Combine ingredients in a small bowl and serve with Pork Dumplings.

Steps:

• Soak the glutinous rice with clean water at least for 24 hours. Move out and drain. Transfer to rice to a plate and flat.
• Heat up water in wok, steam the rice for around 15 minutes until the rice is almost transparent.
• Soak the shiitake mushroom with hot water for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the shiitake mushroom out and re-soak with hot water. Discard the first soaking water and strain the second soaking water for later filling.
• Remove the mushroom roots and cut into dices. Cut carrots into dices too.
• Heat up cooking oil on wok or pan, add chopped pork in to stir-fry until the color changes and then put carrots and mushrooms to fry until soft.
• Add salt, dark soy sauce, sugar and liquid for soaking mushrooms and extra 1/2 cup water. Stir continually. Heat until the sauce is almost absorbed.
• Assemble siu mai with dumpling wrappers. Steam siu mai over high fire for 20-25 minutes.
• Serve hot!