crystal dumplings

Chinese Crystal dumplings got their name from the beautiful translucent look of the dumpling wrappers. Delightfully chewy and delicate in flavor, you’ll want to learn how to make this Cantonese dim sum favorite at home.

Steamed Crystal Dumplings, a Dim Sum Classic

potato starch ((93 grams))

wheat starch ((64 grams, plus 1 cup 128 grams, divided))

½ cup room temperature water ((112 grams))

water ((300 grams))

mushrooms

spinach

carrot ((50 grams, finely diced))

pork

sugar

salt ((you can use less if you plan on dipping these in soy sauce

white pepper

sesame oil

oyster sauce

vegetable oil

cornstarch

Mix the 93 grams potato starch, 64 grams wheat starch, and ½ cup water in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

Bring 1⅓ cups of water to a boil, preferably in a nonstick pan. Once the water is boiling, remix the potato and wheat starch mixture, and slowly pour it into the boiling water while stirring quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon. If you’re not using a non-stick pan, we found using a metal spatula works better. Continue to stir and cook the mixture until it solidifies (5 to 10 seconds). Remove from the heat.

Pour 1 cup of wheat starch onto a flat surface, and scrape all of the cooked dough from the pan on top. Use the spatula since the dough is still hot and sticky. Slowly work the dough into the wheat starch, until the dough has cooled enough to work with your hands. Then knead the dough and flour together until you have a smooth ball. Cover with a clean kitchen towel to rest.

Now it’s time to make the crystal dumpling filling.

Finely dice your rehydrated mushrooms. In a wok or medium-sized pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. While that’s happening, prepare a bowl of ice water.

Add the spinach and/or leafy greens to the boiling water, and stir for 30 seconds until just cooked through. Use a Chinese spider or metal strainer to transfer the blanched greens to the ice water bath. Once cool, strain the greens into a colander and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside on a cutting board.

Next, add the diced carrots and diced mushrooms to the boiling water, and stir for 60 seconds or until just softened. Transfer to the ice water bath.

Finely chop the cooled spinach greens and put them in a bowl along with the drained diced carrots and mushrooms. Add the minced pork, sugar, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, oyster sauce, vegetable oil, and cornstarch. Mix until well combined.

Roll out the crystal dumpling dough into a long cigar, and cut it into 12-gram pieces. Roll each piece out into a round disc about 3 to 3½ inches in diameter.

Here’s where you can get fancy with folding your crystal dumplings or simply fold the dough in a half circle. Just make sure you pinch the openings closed firmly! You can fold them in the shape of har gow or make the standard pleats you would for most of our dumpling recipes. We decided to use a pleated fold with the pleats at the top, which is common at the dim sum restaurants that serve up these crystal dumplings.

The finished dumplings can be placed on a perforated sheet of parchment paper (a large square or on individual squares) brushed with oil--set on a bamboo steamer, or a heat-proof plate that fits into a pot / metal steamer. Steam the dumplings over high heat for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.

Serve these crystal dumplings immediately with some hot chili oil on the side! These crystal dumplings do reheat in the steamer very nicely after refrigeration, but it’s always best to eat them fresh.

Here’s a detailed walkthrough of how to make gluten-free crystal dumplings. You’ll likely have plenty of filling left over. Use it in fried rice or any other kind of stir fry. The dumpling skin is chewy, a bit like mochi. I highly recommend pan frying the bottoms of the dumplings so that you get the crunchy and chewy textures with each bite.

Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings with Tofu & Vegetable Filling

extra-firm tofu (about 1/2 block)

canola oil (or any neutral oil)

(50 grams) chopped shiitake mushrooms

kosher salt

medium carrot, grated (about 1 cup)

garlic chives (Chinese chives)

ginger

gochujang (see note 1)

tamari

(1 cup) potato starch

(1/4 cup) tapioca flour (tapioca starch)

salt

(2/3 cup) boiling hot water (see note 2)

canola oil

water

rice vinegar

garlic,

mixing bowls

pans, plates, or bamboo steamer

parchment paper

steaming rack

Wrap the tofu with paper towels, a muslin...

Wrap the tofu with paper towels, a muslin cloth, or a cheesecloth. Place the tofu on a plate and place a weighted object (like a bowl) over the wrapped tofu. Be careful that what you place on top won’t tip over as you press the tofu. Press the tofu for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, use your hands to crumble the tofu into a bowl.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil in...

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to shrink. Season the mushrooms with a small pinch of kosher salt. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the tofu. 

Add all of the other ingredients for the...

Add all of the other ingredients for the filling to the bowl and mix together. Some gochujang is spicier than others, so you may want to only use 2 tablespoons instead of 3. Set the filling aside.

Mix the potato starch, tapioca flour, and kosher...

Mix the potato starch, tapioca flour, and kosher salt in a bowl. 

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil...

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil into a saucepan. Measure 150 grams or 2/3 cup boiling hot water and pour it into the bowl with the flours. I usually pour 150 grams of hot water directly into the bowl. Cover the saucepan with the lid and set it aside. You may need the water again if the dough is feeling dry. 

Stir the flour and water together for about...

Stir the flour and water together for about 1 minute. By now, most of the loose flour should be gathered into small bits of dough. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil over the dough. 

Use your hands to start gathering and kneading...

Use your hands to start gathering and kneading the dough together. If the dough is too hot to touch, cover it with a lid and let the dough rest for 2 minutes before kneading. The dough should come together pretty easily. If the dough feels very dry even after 1 minute of kneading the dough, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the reserved hot water over the flour and knead. Continue doing this until you’ve gathered up all the bits of dough into one large lump of dough.

Transfer the dough onto a counter or surface...

Transfer the dough onto a counter or surface and knead the dough for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is nice and smooth. You don’t need to flour the surface. The dough will feel moist but shouldn’t be overly sticky after 2 minutes of kneading. If it is feeling sticky, sprinkle some potato starch over the dough and knead it into the dough. 

While you still have warm water on hand,...

While you still have warm water on hand, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of warm water with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar until the sugar fully dissolves. 

Mix in the rest of the ingredients for...

Mix in the rest of the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Set the sauce aside. 

Cut off the zipper portion of a quart-size...

Cut off the zipper portion of a quart-size plastic ziploc bag. Then, cut open 2 sides of the plastic bag. The bag should now open and close like a folder. (See note 3)

Divide the dough in half, and transfer 1...

Divide the dough in half, and transfer 1 piece of dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a lid or damp towel. 

Cut the other half of dough into 12...

Cut the other half of dough into 12 equal pieces, about 13 to 15 grams each. Roll the pieces into small balls. Place all the small balls of dough except 1 into the bowl with the large dough half. Keep the bowl covered. Alternatively, you can leave the small balls of dough on your counter and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying.

Open up the ziploc bag. Place one ball...

Open up the ziploc bag. Place one ball of dough in the center. Cover the dough with the other side of the ziploc bag. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into a disc. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough like pie crust until the dough is about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Then, place the rolling pin over the center of the wrapper. Press and push the dough outward in a sweeping motion, until the dumpling skin is about 3.75 inches in diameter. 

Uncover the dumpling skin and place it on...

Uncover the dumpling skin and place it on one hand. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling on the center of the skin. Pinch together the skin on the right. Using your index fingers, create a pleat and seal it over to the right. Continue making pleats and seal them over to the right until you have finished making the dumpling. (See note 4) 

Transfer the dumpling to a pan or bamboo...

Transfer the dumpling to a pan or bamboo steamer lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan or bamboo steamer with a towel to keep the dumplings from drying out.

Continue making the dumplings until you’re out of...

Continue making the dumplings until you’re out of dumpling dough. You’ll likely have a lot of filling leftover, so use it in a stir fry.

Fill a large wok with water and place...

Fill a large wok with water and place a steaming rack in the center. Make sure that the water level is below the top of the steaming rack (by about 1/4 to 1/2 inch). Bring the water to boil.

Carefully place one of the plates with the...

Carefully place one of the plates with the dumplings onto the steaming rack and cover the wok with the lid. Steam the dumplings for 5 to 6 minutes. Then, steam the rest of the dumplings.

The dumpling skin is a bit chewy in...

The dumpling skin is a bit chewy in texture. I recommend pan frying them in oil over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes to blister the bottoms. Make sure to do this in a nonstick pan to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pan.

Serve the dumplings immediately. 

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/eg0x0mua1cclkvskub2z.mp4

Here is a demonstration of how to shape the dough for crystal skin dumplings. This is a gluten-free and vegan crystal dumpling recipe.

Top 2 crystal dumplings recipes from across the web

The most viewed crystal dumplings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Steamed Crystal Dumplings, a Dim Su...

Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings with ...

Top 2 crystal dumplings recipes from across the web

The most viewed crystal dumplings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Steamed Crystal Dumplings, a Dim Su...

Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings with ...

The most viewed crystal dumplings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine