Rainbow Dumplings - Pride @ Home
A measure of skill and a matter of Pride!
The beautiful thing about dumplings (other than appearance and flavor) is that once you have the basic format down, it is fun to play around with fillings. As Pride weekend is right around the corner, this rainbow dumpling experiment is a a great way to think outside of ingrained cooking techniques to create something beautiful.
INGREDIENTS (Yields 24 dumplings)
Dumpling Dough
3 cups All-purpose flour
RED- Beets, canned (can replace with chilis)
ORANGE- Achiote paste (can replace with carrots or harissa)
YELLOW- Turmeric, fresh (can replace with corn)
GREEN- Matcha powder (can replace with spinach, jalapeno or scallions)
BLUE- Pea Flower (can replace with blueberries)
PURPLE- Hibiscus Flower (can replace with blackberries or purple cabbage)
Dumpling Filling
18 oz ground pork
2 TBSP ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced.
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced
1 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 large egg white
MIX THE FILLING
Place the ginger, garlic and scallions in a blender, and pulse together until you have a semi-thick paste. Stir in the paste with all dumpling filling ingredients in a mixing bowl. For some extra heat, add in your favorite chili paste - but for feeding large groups it is best to keep it simple! Cook over medium heat in a pan for 4-6 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Set to the side to cool.
BLEND THE DOUGH COLORS
You will need 6 small bowls for this part! Take approx. 2 TBSP of each of the color ingredients (beets, turmeric, achiote, etc.) and blend separately with 1 TBSP of hot water. Place each color in a separate bowl to the side as you work through all of the colors.
ROLL THE DOUGH
To make the 6 separate rainbow colors, mix each dough separately. To make 4 dumplings of each color, the ratio is 1/2 cup flour + 2 TBSP hot water + 1-2 TBSP of the coloring mixture. Start by kneading the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and add more hot water, coloring or flour as needed to form a ball of shaggy dough that does not stick to your hands. Continue kneading for 2 minutes, and gradually move to a floured working surface to roll into a ball. Wrap the ball with saran wrap or cover with a damp towel, and set to the side for at least to minutes. Continue this process as you work through all the colors.
FORM THE DUMPLING
There are so many different shapes and styles that you can make! This amazing video demonstrates the different kinds. I decided to go with the “shell” style for these rainbow dumplings. I suggest watching this video, picking your preferred style, and using 1.5 TBSP of ground pork mixture.
STEAM & SERVE
Bring 2 inches of water to a boil (preferably in a wok) and place dumplings in a steamer basket on top of the boiling water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes over high heat. Top with your favorite garnish (sesame seeds, jalapeno, radish) and dip in your favorite sauce (hoisin, sriracha) and enjoy!
