Gyoza

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
Learn to make these authentic Japanese meat or vegetable dumplings, known as yaki gyoza, with our step-by-step guide

Prep:40 mins
Cook:10 mins

Serves 26 gyoza
A challenge

Nutrition per serving

kcal 197
fat 8g
saturates 2g
carbs 23g
sugars 1g
fibre 1g
protein 8g
salt 1.4g

Ingredients

2 tbsp cornflour
26 ready-made gyoza skins, defrosted if frozen (see tip)
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 spring onions, ends trimmed, roughly chopped
2 large leaves of Savoy or pointed cabbage, hard stem removed, roughly chopped
a 1½cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove
50g water chestnuts, about 5 (drained weight)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp cooking saké
½ tsp sesame oil
140g minced pork or chicken
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Yuzu juice
2 tsp peanut oil

Tip

Where to buy

Gyoza skins are available online - try japancentre.com, souschef.co.uk, wingyipstore.co.uk or melburyandappleton.co.uk.

For the authentic Japanese touch

Japanese seven-flavour chilli pepper, or shichimi togarashi, is often served alongside gyoza. Shichimi blends vary depending on the province, but typically include a mixture of dried chilli, Sichuan pepper, ground ginger, nori, sesame and poppy seeds, plus roasted orange peel. Japanese gyoza skins are slightly thinner than the Chinese variety, resulting in a more delicate dumpling.

Method

Put the spring onions, cabbage, ginger and garlic in a food processor, and whizz to a fine mix (or finely chop by hand).
Add the water chestnuts and pulse to chop, but not too finely – these will add a nice crunchy texture. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sake, sesame oil and a pinch of salt, and whizz again.
Tip the ingredients into a bowl and add the minced pork or chicken. Mix by hand until well combined. Chill until ready to use.
Have a pot of water to hand. Sprinkle the cornflour onto a plate. To assemble the gyoza, hold the dumpling skin in the palm of one hand and put a heaped teaspoon of the filling onto the centre of the skin.
Dip your finger in the water and wipe around the edge of the skin – this will moisten it and help the edges stick together.
Bring the edges of the skin together. Pinch pleats along one side, then press each pleat against the opposite flat side of the skin. With each pinch make sure that you are sealing the parcel and keeping the filling in the centre. Put each gyoza onto the plate dusted with cornflour. Can be covered with cling film and chilled for up to 8 hrs.
Cook the gyoza in batches. Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Brush off any excess cornflour from the bases of the dumplings. Fry the gyoza on one side only – don’t turn them over, you just want one crispy side. They should be golden brown after about 2 mins.
Add a good splash of water to the pan and cover with a steaming lid or a large sheet of foil with a few holes poked in the top. Cook over a medium heat for 3-5 mins until the water has evaporated and the gyoza filling is cooked through. Set aside while you cook the rest.
Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients and serve alongside the dumplings in dipping bowls. You can serve with both or just one dipping sauce.