do i cover my dumplings

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Before I learned to scramble an egg or boil dried pasta, I was pleating dumplings under the watchful eye of my mother. In many Asian homes, making dumplings is a ritual, a meditation, and often a multi-generational family affair. Homemade dumplings are one of the simplest foods to make, yet they can intimidate even the most confident home cooks. And I understand the reticence. With the constant onslaught of perfectly formed dumplings on social media, we naturally question our ability to replicate these beautiful little morsels.

But I am here to offer this cliched-yet-essential piece of advice: When making dumplings, practice does make perfect (or near-perfect). Your first attempts at forming dumplings may leave you feeling disheartened. They will likely be a tad ugly, perhaps not Instagrammable just yet. Put down that phone and persist. Fold, crimp, pleat, and repeat. Again and again. I have had decades of practice and yet, some days, if I have not made them for a while, or if I’m not feeling the vibe, I can still dish out fairly mediocre-looking dumplings. But the upside? Ugly dumplings, like imperfect vegetables, can still taste delicious—and these tips, which I wrote in my new book To Asia, With Love, will help you get there:

Once your water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. You want a gentle boil that won’t disturb your dumplings as they steam. Make sure you cover them! This allows for as much steam as possible so that your dumplings can definitely get cooked.

Then be sure to dry it out

Make sure your filling is not too wet, as excessive moisture will increase the chance of the wrapper breaking. Remove as much liquid from vegetables as possible before adding to the mix. For greens like spinach, kale, or bok choy, blanch them first, then squeeze them tightly with your hands. If you find that your filling has too much liquid, I recommend draining the entire mixture in a colander. Another trick that I learned from my mother is to add a teaspoon of cornstarch or breadcrumbs to help soak up the liquid.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with fillings

I like to experiment with the dumpling fillings, trying different vegetables and flavors which are not specifically Asian. Almost anything can be fashioned into a dumpling. For example, my zero-waste “leftovers dumpling” is filled with repurposed roasted veggies, beans, herbs, spices, and other foods found in my fridge filling.

24 Ways to Wrap Dumplings (you’ll get so many compliments if you try some)

FAQ

Should I cook dumplings covered or uncovered?

Do you put the lid on when cooking dumplings?

Do you cover dumplings when boiling?

Do you steam dumplings with lid on or off?

Do dumplings need to be covered?

In either case, the pot should be covered so that the dough is completely surrounded by heat during cooking. Dumplings call for the same basic ingredients as biscuits, which include flour, baking powder, milk, fat and salt. They can also be made using all-purpose baking mix by following directions on the package.

Do you need a lid to cook dumplings?

The second secret to making really good dumplings is to keep the lid closed while the dumplings cook. With the soup simmering over a low flame and the dumpling dough ready, you’ll drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the surface of the simmering broth, then cover the pot with a lid.

How do you make dumplings without rolling out?

If you want drop dumplings do not roll out. Just pinch off pieces of the dough the size you want. Drop either kind of dumplings, a few at a time, into boiling soup, fruit or broth, cover with top on pot, let cook for a few minutes and add more dumplings.

Do you need to boil dumplings before cooking?

During the cooking process, you need to add cold water to the boiling water three times before the dumplings are fully cooked. Remember to cover the pot with a lid each time after you add water. Immediately after cooking, I suggest you rinse the dumplings under cold water for a few seconds.