Egg parcels

Time was when a dumpling meant a trip to north Delhi — to a settlement that we called Tib Dhabs (Tibetan Dhaba) or Tib Mons (Tibetan Monastery). You would get three or four basic types of momos there — but we were happy with those.

Now, of course, the word dumplings can lead to its own slim dictionary. Many restaurants have their dumpling buffets — where you have your fill of different kinds of dim sums and momos, with large bowls of soups. Clearly, since dumplings are delicious, yet healthy, a lot of people are happy devoting their energies to these steamed balls with various sorts of fillings.

“You can do various kinds of things with dim sums,” says Rakesh Prasad, the young executive sous chef of The Suryaa New Delhi, which has just opened a new Pan-Asian restaurant called Sampan in the hotel. Indeed, you can. Dim sums and momos can be steamed and fried, and filled with anything. And since there as many kinds of dumplings as they are palates you can have anything from an egg parcel to a green dumpling cooked with spinach or from a thin-skinned sui mai filled with minced shrimps to rou wan, a delicious minced pork dumpling served in a very light broth.

Rou wan (minced pork dumplings)

I remember a most illuminating meeting that I’d had several years ago with a dumpling expert from China, chef Nian Qing. What was special about dim sums, he had said, was that they came with different kinds of casings. The momo — the dim sum’s Tibetan cousin — was mostly made out of refined flour. But dim sums could be dumplings of rice flour, wheat starch, corn starch, tapioca starch — and a host of other things.

What I like about dumplings is that they are mostly easy to cook. But Devraj Haldar, the head of the F and B division at The Suryaa, has a few tips to offer for anyone steaming dumplings for the first time at home. One, if your filling is of vegetables, make sure you don’t overcook them. If the stuffing is of some kind of meat, don’t mince the meat too finely, or else the mince will turn into a ball. Also, when you put the dumplings in a steaming basket, make sure there is enough space in between each piece to enable them to expand in the heat.

Timing is important too. Most dumplings need about ten minutes of steaming. “But you must steam them just before you serve them — or else your dumplings will become hard. And keep them covered on the table when they are being served,” Haldar says.

Sui mai (minced shrimp dumplings)

One such basket was opened in front of me — unearthing a delicious dumpling called the guo tie, which is a dim sum that had been lightly fried. The sauces that went with it were memorable too. Sampan’s sous chef Lal Singh, who has given us the recipes for the dumplings, has a simple recipe for a dip that the chefs have named — somewhat immodestly but not erroneously — the Wonderful Sauce.

For this, take 100g chopped onion, 15g chopped coriander, 10g each of chopped ginger and garlic, 15g chopped spring onion, 2tbs of chilli paste, 100ml tomato ketchup, ½tsp soy sauce, 15g vegetable broth powder, 1tsp chilli oil and 1tsp Chinese wine. Now mix all the chopped ingredients. Add the sauces to them and adjust the seasoning. Heat 100ml oil in another pan and add it to the sauce. Now squeeze some lime juice into it, and it’s ready.

Dip your dim sum into the sauce, bite into it, and things will look up. Dim sums, to my mind, are one of the best kinds of comfort food you can get. It may well have been a long journey from momos to dim sums but I am not complaining.

Green dumplings (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 600g refined flour • 100g spinach paste • 100ml water

Mixture:

• 80g button mushroom • 40g shiitake mushroom • 60g spinach • 20g pak choi • 20g garlic • 10g celery • 15g ginger ¼ tsp vegetable broth powder • 50ml oil • ½tsp sesame oil • ½tsp Chinese wine lseasoning

Method:

For the dough: combine all the ingredients for the dough and mix well. The dough should be medium hard. For the filling: chop the garlic, celery and ginger. Blanche and chop the other vegetables. Put them all in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll out into a circle. Place a portion of the filling (about 1 tbs) at the centre of the rolled dough. Bring together the edges and pinch them with the fingertips, sealing it well. Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the dough. Place the dumpling in dim sum basket or greased tray. Steam in a steamer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Gou tie chicken (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 500g refined flour • 150ml water

Mixture:

• 200g minced chicken • 20g chopped onion • 15g chopped spring onion • 10g chopped ginger • ¼tsp chicken broth powder • 50ml oil • ½tsp soy sauce • ¼tsp sesame oil • ½tsp Chinese wine • seasoning

Method:

Mix the chicken with all the ingredients for the mixture, barring the sesame oil. Stir in one direction, a little at a time until the chicken becomes sticky. Add the sesame oil and blend well, and divide into portions. Set aside. Stir water into the flour and knead into a smooth and elastic ball of dough. Set aside for 30 minutes. Roll the ball into a long cylinder and cut into portions. Flatten each piece and roll into a circle of about 3-in. Place a portion of the filling on each circle and fold over. Pinch tightly to seal the edges and form a squat bonnet-shaped pouch. Repeat until all the dough and filling are used.

Put the pouches in a large steamer. Cover the steamer and cook over high heat until the water is almost absorbed. Sauté over low heat until the flour forms a crisp casing. Sprinkle the dumplings with a little oil, cover again, and sauté until the pouches are brown at the bottom. Remove with a spatula and serve with dips.