Dumplings are more than food, they're what you cook with, and eat with family and friends, food to be shared with the people you love most.
You can buy them in a restaurant, about £4-5 for 6 is the average price in London, but anyone who's been in Asia knows that this is not acceptable, you're limited in quantity, quality, and also flavour. There are no dumpling restaurants here with every discovered and unexplored combination of flavours and cooking methods.
So, make them yourself.
First up, dumpling skin - available for about £1 in chinese supermarkets, both wonton and gyoza/ jiao zi wrappers are available. But they're really easy to make yourself. Some flour, water, and a rolling pin are all you need.
Use about 8 oz/ 200g/ 1 cup plain flour, and add about 1/3 volume of water. Stir, then knead until you have a smooth ball of dough. This quantity will make just over 30 dumplings.
You can also experimenting using various amounts of rice flour/ green bean flour etc for different textures (the green bean will be more chewy, the rice flour will have a smoother texture and roll out thinner).
Wrap in clingfilm, and rest for at least 30 minutes then make your dumplings!
