Potstickers are a type of Chinese dumpling called “jiaozi” in Mandarin. Chinese has been consuming jiaozi since the Song dynasty (960 – 1280 A.D.). There are numerous types of Chinese dumplings available depending on how they are cooked. They are mainly divided into 3 groups: Boiled dumplings, called “shuijiao”; steamed dumplings called “zhengjiao” and pan fried dumplings called “quotie”. The exact origin of potstickers is not known, however there is a tale that they were created by an imperial court chef in China, who unintentionally overcooked some dumplings after leaving them in the wok for too long on the stove. The dumplings were seared only on the bottom not on top and he served them with the seared side up and claimed them as his own distinct invention. The dish became popular almost instantaneously. There are many variations of ingredients used for potstickers and dumplings. Popular minces meat are chicken, pork, beef and mutton. The most commonly used vegetables are shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, spring onion (scallions), water chestnuts, chives, carrots. Vegan versions of potstickers and dumplings normally include tofu and vegetables. For my gluten free potstickers, my ingredients are minced pork, cabbage and spring onions, ginger and garlic. This recipe is also dairy free, nut free and egg free.
Classically, jiaozi comprise of minced meat and vegetables fillings wrapped in a thinly rolled out dough sealed by pressing the edges together. The most common meat fillings used are minced pork, chicken and prawns. Sometimes minced beef or mutton are also used. While the most well-liked vegetable fillings are cabbage, spring onion (scallion) and garlic chives. For my gluten free recipe, I am using fillings made of minced pork, finely chopped cabbage, carrot and spring onion seasoned with gluten free light soy sauce, pure sesame oil, salt and ground white pepper. The served with a chilli soy sesame and vinegar dipping sauce. Most potstickers are pan fried, steamed and then pan fried again but I am only pan frying the potstickers for a more crunchy texture.
Traditionally, jiaozi are one of the main foodstuff consumed during the Chinese Lunar New Year. But in the northern regions of China, they are consumed all year round. Since they look like the golden nuggets, called yuan bao, used during the Ming Dynasty for currency, dishing them up during Chinese Lunar New Year is believed to bring prosperity. However, in modern day, jiaozi are eaten all year round for any meal of the day whether its for breakfast, lunch or dinner. When preparing these jiaozi at home, many used their own favourite fillings and their own chosen method of cooking them.
Ingredients
- Rice bran oil for pan frying
- Gluten free flour for dusting
For the dough:
- 450 g 16oz gluten free all-purpose flour (Orgran)
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 350 ml boiled water
For the Filling:
- 550 g 19.4oz/1.2Ib minced pork or minced chicken
- 1 115g/4oz carrot, finely shredded
- 100 g 3.5oz cabbage, finely chopped
- 2 spring onion shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons gluten free light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoons gluten free corn maize flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 2 fresh long red chillies finely chopped
- 2 fresh small red chillies finely chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 cm ginger finely grated
- ¼ cup rice bran oil
- ¼ cup pure sesame oil
- ⅓ cup gluten free light soy sauce
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar or Chinese rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pale or medium dry sherry
- ½ tablespoons gluten free corn maize flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Juice of 1 lemon 50ml
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 sprigs coriander roughly chopped for garnishing
Instructions
For the dough:
- Bring 350ml of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, combine and whisk together the all-purpose gluten free flour, xanthan gum and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
- Pour 300ml of just boiled water into the well in the bowl, stir and combine the flour then add in the rest of the 50ml boiled water gradually.
- Then use your hands to knead the dough until you have a smooth dough and is not sticky.
- Divide the dough into 2 portions. Seal in ziplock bags and let the dough rest on the benchtop for 1 hour.
For the filling:
- Combine and mix well all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Set aside.
For the wrappers:
- Dust the work surface and rolling pin with some gluten free flour.
- Remove 1 dough from the ziplock bag, divide the dough into 4 smaller portions.
- Work with 1 portion at a time, roll into ropes of 1 inch thickness.
- Cut each rope into 1 inch pieces and roll them into balls.
- Flatten each ball into a disc or patty. Use the rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle.
- Continue to roll out each dough, turning it as you roll, to form a thin 3 inch round wrapper.
For stuffing the wrappers:
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the middle of each wrapper. With lightly dust fingers, carefully press and seal the edges together. Press until the edges are thin out.
- With your fingers, gently press down on the filled wrappers to flatten the base.
- Set aside on a tray until ready to pan fry.
For cooking the dipping sauce:
- Heat up a frying pan with the rice bran oil. Pan fry the garlic and ginger on low heat until lightly golden, then add in half of the red chillies, all the sesame oil, gluten free light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or Chinese rice wine vinegar, dry sherry, corn flour mixture, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir-fry for 2 minutes on low to medium heat.
- Pour into a medium serving bowl and garnish with the remaining chillies and coriander. Set aside.
For cooking the potstickers:
- Heat up a non-stick frying pan with some rice bran oil to medium heat.
- Pan fry 8 filled wrappers on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown on medium to low heat. Always pan fry on the sides on moderately low heat first to prevent the potstickers from tearing.
- Then pan fry the base for around 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden brown on low heat.
- Repeat until all the potstickers are cooked. Pan fry the potstickers in 5 batches.
- Serve with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Ingredients
- Rice bran oil for pan frying
- Gluten free flour for dusting
For the dough:
- 450 g 16oz gluten free all-purpose flour (Orgran)
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 350 ml boiled water
For the Filling:
- 550 g 19.4oz/1.2Ib minced pork or minced chicken
- 1 115g/4oz carrot, finely shredded
- 100 g 3.5oz cabbage, finely chopped
- 2 spring onion shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons gluten free light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
- 1½ tablespoons gluten free corn maize flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 2 fresh long red chillies finely chopped
- 2 fresh small red chillies finely chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 cm ginger finely grated
- ¼ cup rice bran oil
- ¼ cup pure sesame oil
- ⅓ cup gluten free light soy sauce
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar or Chinese rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pale or medium dry sherry
- ½ tablespoons gluten free corn maize flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Juice of 1 lemon 50ml
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 sprigs coriander roughly chopped for garnishing
Instructions
For the dough:
- Bring 350ml of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, combine and whisk together the all-purpose gluten free flour, xanthan gum and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
- Pour 300ml of just boiled water into the well in the bowl, stir and combine the flour then add in the rest of the 50ml boiled water gradually.
- Then use your hands to knead the dough until you have a smooth dough and is not sticky.
- Divide the dough into 2 portions. Seal in ziplock bags and let the dough rest on the benchtop for 1 hour.
For the filling:
- Combine and mix well all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Set aside.
For the wrappers:
- Dust the work surface and rolling pin with some gluten free flour.
- Remove 1 dough from the ziplock bag, divide the dough into 4 smaller portions.
- Work with 1 portion at a time, roll into ropes of 1 inch thickness.
- Cut each rope into 1 inch pieces and roll them into balls.
- Flatten each ball into a disc or patty. Use the rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle.
- Continue to roll out each dough, turning it as you roll, to form a thin 3 inch round wrapper.
For stuffing the wrappers:
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the middle of each wrapper. With lightly dust fingers, carefully press and seal the edges together. Press until the edges are thin out.
- With your fingers, gently press down on the filled wrappers to flatten the base.
- Set aside on a tray until ready to pan fry.
For cooking the dipping sauce:
- Heat up a frying pan with the rice bran oil. Pan fry the garlic and ginger on low heat until lightly golden, then add in half of the red chillies, all the sesame oil, gluten free light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or Chinese rice wine vinegar, dry sherry, corn flour mixture, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir-fry for 2 minutes on low to medium heat.
- Pour into a medium serving bowl and garnish with the remaining chillies and coriander. Set aside.
For cooking the potstickers:
- Heat up a non-stick frying pan with some rice bran oil to medium heat.
- Pan fry 8 filled wrappers on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown on medium to low heat. Always pan fry on the sides on moderately low heat first to prevent the potstickers from tearing.
- Then pan fry the base for around 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden brown on low heat.
- Repeat until all the potstickers are cooked. Pan fry the potstickers in 5 batches.
- Serve with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Disclosure Statement: I am NOT paid by Orgran for this post!
These were absolutely awesome! I had never had good luck with gf potsticker dough but this was a breeze and tasted just as good as the wheat flour version. Thank you!
I am really delighted that you enjoyed these gf potstickers! Thank you so much for your good feedback!! 🙂
Can these be frozen? Would I freeze them cooked or uncooked?
I would like to “put some up” for my teen daughter in her first apartment~
any advice would be so great. Thank you, Jodie
Best to freeze them uncooked as gf potstickers taste best when freshly pan-fried. Place them on a plate to freeze and once frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag and keep them frozen until ready to cook. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Enjoy the recipe. 🙂
They sound lovely -I’m fan of dumplings and Chinese food. 😀
I am big fan of all kinds of dumplings too! 🙂
Love the name potstickers. These look so pretty and stuffed with vegetables, they sound amazing.
These pan fried dumplings/potstickers have a very catchy name and delicious too! 🙂