Delightful Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza
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Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza

The Japanese pork and leek gyoza are crunchy, juicy pockets of goodness. Filled with deliciously spiced pork and served with a tasty dipping sauce. Eating one will just not do.

Gyoza is one of those things that we have to have when we visit a Japanese restaurant. They are those delicious pan-fried dumplings filled with ground pork. We always fight for them if we receive an odd number. So, it was almost a necessity for me to learn how to make these Japanse pork and leek gyoza at home. Having one or two at a restaurant just wasn’t cutting it for us.

It’s a time-consuming task. You have to make the pork filling then fill each dumpling by hand, and then pan fry them. But, it’s a task my kids are always willing to help with because the end result is so worth it.

Ingredients for Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza

To make my life easier, I use store-bought wonton wrappers for this. It’s too time-consuming to make your own.

Ingredients for Japanese Gyoza

Ingredients List for these Japanese Dumplings

  • 2 cups ground pork
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped leeks (light green and whites only)
  • 2 mushrooms
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 36 round dumpling wrappers
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying
  • 1/2 cup of water (for folding the dumplings)

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Making the Pork Filling for This Asian Recipe

To make the filling, start by finely chopping the leeks, mushrooms, and garlic. Grate the ginger and then combine all ingredients (from ground pork to salt) in a large mixing bowl.

Raw ingredients for gyoza

Note: Since soy sauce is quite salty already, be careful with the amount of extra salt you add.

Filling for Japanese Gyoza

Mix well so you get a uniformly mixed consistency. This will ensure that every bite you take has the same delicious flavor.

Making / Wrapping the Dumplings

To make the dumplings, take one round dumpling wrapper and put 2 tablespoons of the pork mix on one half of the wrapper. Leave approximately 1/4 cm space around the edge, so that you can easily fold the wrapper.

Pork on wrapper

Using a brush or your finger apply a thin coat of water all along the 1/4 cm space you left around the edges of the wrapper. The water allows the dumpling wrapper to stick together. Fold the dumpling into a half moon shape.

Using a fork, gently push down the edges of the dumpling. This ensures that the dumpling gets sealed and doesn’t open up when it’s fried.

Ready to fry gyoza

Frying the Gyoza

In a large nonstick pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Place a few dumplings into the pan. Only place one layer of dumplings and do not overcrowd. This allows the dumplings to cook evenly and get crispy. Cook the dumplings for about 3-4 on one side. You will notice the corners of the wrappers start to get translucent and brown a little.

Delightful Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza

In order for the pork to cook, you need to steam the dumplings. The meat you used was raw and needs to be cooked all the way through. Once the dumplings have browned on one side, without flipping the dumplings, pour about 4 tablespoons of water into the pan and cover immediately. Allow the dumplings to steam for another 3-4 mins – or until the water has evaporated.

Once the water has evaporated, remove the lid and pour another tablespoon of oil into the pan and let the dumplings crisp up from the bottom. Do not at any time turn the dumplings. These dumplings are only crisp from one side and are steamed on the other side.

Place the dumplings browned side up on a plate and enjoy with the dipping sauce.

Delightful Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza

Making the dipping sauce for This Asian Food

In a small mixing bowl, add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of chili sauce. Mix together and you have a delicious dipping sauce for your gyoza.

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Japanese Pork and Leek Gyoza

Course: SideCuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

36

dumplings
Prep

30

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Calories

106

kcal
Total time

40

minutes

The Japanese pork and leek dumplings are crunchy, juicy pockets of goodness. Filled with deliciously spiced pork and served with a tasty dipping sauce. Eating one will just not do.

Ingredients

  • Dumplings
  • 2 cups ground pork

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped leeks (light green and whites only)

  • 2 mushrooms

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

  • 1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 36 round dumpling wrappers

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying

  • 1/2 cup of water (for folding the dumplings)

  • Dipping sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon chunky garlic chili sauce

Directions

  • Dipping sauce
  • In a small mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili sauce.
  • Mix together and set aside.
  • Gyoza
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork.
  • To the pork, add all of the ingredients from leeks to black pepper.
  • Mix well to form a uniformly mixed ground pork mixture.
  • Take one round dumpling wrapper and put 2 tablespoons of the pork mix on one half of the wrapper. Leave approximately 1/4 cm of space from the end of the dumpling.
  • Using a brush or your finger apply a thin coat of water all along the 1/4 cm space you left.
  • Fold the wrapper over and push down, so the two sides get “glued” together and form a half moon.
  • Using a fork, pinch down on the edges of the half moon.
  • In a large nonstick pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Place the dumplings into the pan. Only place one layer of dumplings and do not overcrowd them.
  • Cook the dumplings for about 3-4 mins.
  • Without flipping the dumplings, pour about 4 tablespoons of water into the pan and cover immediately. Allow the dumplings to steam for another 3-4 mins – or until the water has evaporated. Steaming allows the meat in the dumplings to cook.
  • Remove the lid and pour another tablespoon of oil into the pan and let the dumplings crisp up from the bottom (do not flip – gyoza should only be crisp from one side and steamed from the other).
  • Place the dumplings browned side up on a plate and enjoy with the dipping sauce.

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