Step 1

After washing and drying the chives (see important note) cut the chives into small pieces, a little shy of 1 cm, and place in a mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, soy sauce, baking soda, white pepper and garlic oil and mix until combined. Let sit for at least 20 minutes or until the chives look wilted, and liquid has been drawn out of them.

Step 2

by combining vinegar, water and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add all remaining ingredients are stir to combine. This sauce will keep in the fridge for weeks!

Step 3

Combine water, rice flour and tapioca starch in a pot and stir until there are no more lumps. Turn the heat on LOW and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula. As the flour starts to cook and congeal into lumps, pull the pot off heat occasionally to smush any flour lumps against the sides to break them up. Continue stirring CONSTANTLY just until the mixture is thick enough that the chives can be evenly suspended in the batter. Remove from heat and continue stirring to break up any lumps of flour to make sure the consistency of the batter is even throughout. (Your batter does not need to be as thick as mine got in the video, as long as it's thick enough to suspend the chives, you'll be fine. Be careful not to cook the batter too much or you will have a hard time incorporating the chives into it.)

Step 4

Once the chives are wilted, stir them into the batter until well combined.

Step 5

Grease a 7-inch round cake pan with oil (or use any heatproof container of your choice, making sure the batter comes up to about 2 cm thick). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth off the top.

Step 6

Preheat a steamer with boiling water. Wrap a towel around the lid of the steamer to prevent water from dripping onto the surface of the dumplings. Steam the dumplings for 15 minutes or until fully cooked.

Step 7

Let the dumpling cool in the pan just until cool enough to handle. Run a knife along the sides and flip it out, then let it cool as much as time will allow (it's easier to cut when cool). Use a sharp knife, grease it with oil, and cut the dumplings into bite-sized cubes. If there is a lot of dough sticking to the blade between cuts, wipe it off and re-oil the blade.

Step 8

You can keep the dumplings at this stage in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week, and fry them whenever you're ready to eat.

Step 9

In a non-stick pan, add just enough oil so it comes up just below half the height of the dumplings. Heat until hot and fry them on both sides until well browned and crispy, making sure to not let them touch while in the pan or they will stick together. Drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 10

Serve while they're hot and crispy with the dipping sauce!

Step 11

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