Kimchi Mandu

I have loved eating mandu so much ever since I was young. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of eating them. I love that I can make a huge batch and store some in the freezer, and whenever I’m craving for mandu or in the need of a quick meal, I can just simply take them out and steam / pan fry / boil them.

Mandu is basically the Korean name for dumplings. There are a huge amount of varieties for mandu, but today, we’re making KIMCHI mandu. I used ground pork for the filling and always recommend it for dumplings, as it has a smoother texture and binds together better; but you can always switch it up with ground chicken or ground beef (beef will produce more of a firm and flaky texture and will not taste as smooth though!). You can also make this without the meat, just use more tofu to replace it.

It may seem complicated to make these, but trust me, it’s really not. If you follow my foolproof technique, you’ll be wrapping these in a breeze. Remember, practice makes perfect! I’m sure you’ll succeed wrapping these in no time, you got this!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 340g ground pork
• 1/4 of a package of tofu
• 5-6 shiitake mushrooms (minced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 large shallot (minced)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
• 1/4 cup dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles) (cooked, drained and cut into pieces)
• 1 cup kimchi (chopped)
• 3/4 cup asian chives or green onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Dumplings:

• Large mandu wrappers (thawed in the refrigerator)
• A little flour (for dusting)
• A little water (for sticking)

Dipping sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/8 tsp gochugaru
• 1 small red chilli (chopped)

Instructions

1. Mix all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands or a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours incorporate together.

2. Remove filling mixture from the fridge and let it sit for 10 mins before wrapping.
3. Dust a little flour on your fingers and place a wrapper on your palm. Add 2-3 spoons of the filling to the center. Dab a little water along the edges of the wrapper. Seal tightly into a half-moon shape. Dab a bit more water on the two ends, and stick them together to create a round shape. PRESS TIGHTLY. Repeat this process for the rest.
(You can also freeze the mandu in a plastic bag/container for use later)

4. Place mandu in a steamer and steam over high heat for 10-15 minutes.
5. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together. Dip mandu in the sauce and enjoy!

If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!