I like to imagine myself as a little rat sitting on Kenji’s head during the gopro shots and we’re doing a reverse ratatouille where he’s teaching me how to cook 🐀
Each time has subtle differences which offers a slightly different flavor (here Kenji added ginger and garlic and used regular green cabbage). For me it’s like cooking any dish (particularly curries). They never taste exactly the same. Once you finally achieve what you consider the absolute perfect balance of flavors, it’s still difficult to replicate exactly. Magic doesn’t always happen. I like to add some finely shredded carrots to my dumplings, and I experiment with my sauces. 🥟 Lots of great recipes in his book.
I’ve gotta say… I love this video for two big reasons. 1. It tastes excellent. 2. The way you’re able to explain complex processes as simply as “balls of yarn being roughed up a bit through kneading and detangling, allowing them to kind of mesh together” actually provides context that you can apply to other recipes. Thank you for that.
This brought back memories of my childhood. I'm 100% white, but we liked to cook as a family and were poor, so every time the wrappers would go on clearance, my mom would buy them and the cheapest ground pork and we would all sit around watching TV and folding pot stickers.
I really appreciate that each video on this channel includes ample time explaining _why_ we're taking specific steps, along with a high-level explanation of underlying food science. I am learning things that help make me a slightly better cook, instead of memorizing a recipe. Having some more foundational understanding makes experimenting less intimidating, and the failures less frustrating. So thanks, Kenji! You've given some great recipes, and more confidence in the kitchen.
I really enjoy Kenji's anecdotes of his childhood along with the stories of the dishes, as another immigrant who cherishes my food memories with my parents, it's so heartwarming to hear the similarities and differences in stories that still lead to delicious dumplings!
I too am someone who makes dumplings very often. I'm an American who has been living in China for 26+ years, married to a Chinese from the northeast part of China where this is a traditional food of this region. We make Jiaozi at home on a very regular basis and they are one of my favorite foods in this world. We normally make our own Jiaozi skins and we often make Pork and Celery, Cabbage, scallions or Leeks. I'm not really a fan of Beef Jiaozi but sometimes we will mix beef and pork together. We've even experimented with minced lamb which has turned out quite nicely. Dipping sauces? I never use Soy sauce. A dark rice Vinegar with a drop of Sesame oil, together with homemade Chilli Oil with Chillis, and minced garlic makes a perfect dumpling dipping sauce. A little chopped cilantro on top is great too.
I like to quickly stir fry the cabbage along with other stuff like shredded carrot, green onion, sesame oil and shiitake mushrooms, add some five spice powder, and Sherry , then let cool and add to the pork and whatever else..that way you evaporate the water and concentrate the flavors. I’ve tried adding egg as well..egg doesn’t improve the filling much if at all if you have the proper amount of pork. Good sauce base is half soy, half vinegars..you can sizzle some garlic, ginger, red and black pepper w sesame oil then drop in the soy/vinegar.
I've made this recipe of kenji's before and freeze the leftovers to have any time. I love it. I recommend adding pretty finely grated carrots to the cabbage. Sesame oil inside is really delicious too. One of my favorites of Kenji's even though I can't fold the dumplings for the life of me.
I've done this twice now and I'm really enjoying it. I stuck to the seven-pleat method and am starting to feel pretty proficient after about 150 dumplings. I found that going very fine with the cabbage was critical to getting an easily-workable filling texture. The thicker of two skin brands I've tried has proven easier to work with overall. For my latest batch, I set up a dumpling station at my desk and pleated while I watched a movie with friends over voice chat.
Kenji consistently seems not only extremely knowledgeable and capable, but like someone who even if you'd have a personality clash or whatever in person, you'd at least respect and like because he has integrity. More to the point of this video, man do I need to make gyoza again. It's been years and maybe my kids will at least try them this time.
I recently got The Food Lab as a christmas gift and I can honestly say its one of my favorite things to pick up and just start reading. That being said, I look forward to getting The Wok once I've made what I can from your first book. I've been following you for years and have loved every second of it, thank you
Hey, me too! Even though I had to outright tell my wife I wanted one of Kenji's cookbooks, she was just very happy to finally have something to buy me for Christmas. I'm tough to buy gifts for, apparently.
7 pleats reflect the seven virtues of Budo: jin (benevolence), gi (honor or justice), rei (courtesy and etiquette), chi (wisdom, intelligence), shin (sincerity), chu (loyalty), and koh (piety) Edit: autocorrect originally had it “judo”, updated to “Budo”
Your knowledge of cooking and food science always fascinates me. Your description of proteins and sausage particularly blew my mind! Thank you for always crafting such detailed videos and sharing with us! Also, I love your background stories too!
every once in a while, instead of using just water I'll use left over kimchi juices to steam. I don't know that it makes a huge difference, but I absolutely love the smell
Great video! Ive made gyozas for a while now and they alwasy turn out banging, and i still learned a ton from this video! Salting and straining the cabbage is definitely one im gonna do going forward! Ive definitely noticed mine get too much moisture sometimes! Which usually wasnt a big deal, but especially for freezing them, than they keep way better without excess moisture. Not that they ever last that long anyways 😋
I just recently picked up The Food Lab for an english assignment (somehow?) about education values, societal changes, and differences in opinion. When I was told that cookbooks had, in past years, been effective for students I knew immediately what I was going to read. I may only be into the final pages of kitchen materials, but I already have learned so much from this book. Your books are 100% worth the price.
Wow thank you, Kenji!! I made up a freezer batch of these last night before work and cooked some tonight. Had no idea they were this easy to make and now we will keep a freezer stash of them from now on. Thank you for this video!
@JKenjiLopezAlt 9:23~ Yes, a potato ricer is a Class 2 lever. Class 1 is a seesaw, Class 3 is your arm. 19:08~ 19:39~ Yep, they're called in Japanese _hane-tsuki gyoza_ (羽根つき餃子, gyoza with feathers/wings).
When I lived in the Central District in Seattle there were a couple of very tough looking guys who would show up occasionally with meat they'd sell out of the back of their cars. I was pretty broke back then and bought a lot of meat and NEVER asked any questions.
thank you for showing folding techniques that are easier! my motor skills are really poor, so i've never tried to make dumplings before because i knew i'd get frustrated, but these look really doable
My sauce for this is 3 parts vinegar, 3 parts sugar, mix until sugar is fully diluted, 1-1.5 parts light soy sauce. Then either finely chopped ginger if you like ginger (you are going to bite into these tiny ginger pieces) or grated ginger using a microplane for a more mellow taste. Make the sauce before wrapping the dumplings to give time for the ginger flavor to really come out. Add a tiny bit of Thai chillies if you can take heat. Also, for extra crispy dumplings, only add like 5 drops of water before covering tight and when you add the water add it on the side where it won’t wet your dumplings. You just want to lightly steam and not wet your dumplings. Too much water will make it difficult to get that crunchy texture, it will end up more chewy. Enjoy! These are my favorite dumplings and that sauce is impossible to get at a restaurant. It’s all about homemade and wrap those dumplings with your family!
I was looking for this comment! 😊 I add some water to my dumplings when I cook them, but sometimes I add about a tsp of star anise infusion I diy to it, + the oil. That way, once the water evaporates, the oil is left behind to crisp up the steamed dumplings. I check them, & turn them over to crisp on a 2nd side before serving. They're a hit w/the family. Usually more so than my son's bc he's usually in a hurry. 😢❤
It looks like dumplings are Jamon's favorite food too! He is usually so timid , but he WENT FOR that potsticker!! Love it. Thanks Kenji! I have always used Chef John's recipe which is similar, but he calls for a LOT of ginger, which I always wondered whether that is traditional or not.
It just upsets my stomach, & I thought this was required. I was glad to see that Kenji didn't use but what looked like about a tsp, or 1½ tsp, for the whole filling amt. That's doable for me.
Holy crap these were good! Thank you Kenji. Learning to shape the gyoza was a trial, but I got it down after the first 15 or so. The dipping sauce was easy and a great complement. We made them 2 ways, with and without wings. I definitely like the wings best, but I liked it with less starch/flour so the wings are lacier (like he says). This made enough to freeze some, which we'll make up soon as a side to another dinner.
Kenji, the way you explain your methods is so perfectly executed. I feel as though I cannot possibly fail making a delicious recipe when I am blessed with your guidance.
Mandu wrapping is such a core memory for me. I would visit my mom and on holidays all the women gather and wrap dumplings. Grandma would fry them up as we folded. Now we're all trying to recreate her mandu
My late hubs taught me to make gyoza. His 1st love was a Japanese young lady & she & her mom taught him. SO VERY grateful for their generosity! I'm originally from San Francisco & grew up having learned to love Japanese food & culture, but no one to teach me how to cook the food. My background is Italian ❤ so my hubs & I had plenty to talk & cook as we shared what we grew up so far apart in cultures. We loved & lived our lives around the kitchen, to our neighbors' delight, & raising our own food was awesome. I watched your video as I was trying to remember exactly what the ingredients were, & yours was exactly right. No rigid rules, or order. What was at hand was used. Thanks so much for posting!❤
I appreciate that you showed the easy 4 pleat method, because no matter how many times I watch dumpling tutorials, my hands automatically just start doing that one 😄 I think because it's easier for me to control by pinching the center closed first.
hey as a trans man just want to say, thank you so much for your inclusion of non-binary pals at the end. It was such a different experience to hear the language directly include non-binary people- the difference between the acceptance/visibility I feel for myself and my experience when you say that is so encouraging and hopeful. Especially when "ladies and gentlemen" is so common, I FELT how I tensed up when you started the phrase, and how much I relaxed when you added that bit at the end. Thank you. also, these dumplings look like something I could ACTUALLY make. Your explanation of the "why" as well as the "how" is so helpful to building experience and sense in the kitchen, and it's a mark of a seasoned pro to watch how clean and tidy you keep your workspace, and I found it helpful (without being judgemental, as I feel is a unique balance you've landed well) that you showed lower-effort ways to seal the dumplings. I get very intimidated by recipes "from scratch", but your approach made me feel more comfortable. Thank you for sharing your expertise, experience, and efforts with us. Love from California!
I made these today for the very first time with my 8 year old and 3 year old. We didn't get 7 pleats on every one however none of them burst. The kids tried them fir the first time as they've never eaten them before and now I'm being asked to make them again tomorrow. This is the easiest tutorial I've ever followed and they came out perfect! I'll be sharing this video with others and I've ordered the book 😊
I live in Japan and tend to buy the gyoza ready to fry but I need to be less lazy and make them myself sometimes! We do soy sauce, rice vinegar and a couple of drops of sesame oil for a tiny bit of kick to the sauce. So good.
An amazing amount of homemade gyoza I've had were only made with meat and cabbage/lettuce - no alliums, no ginger, no spices, no salt, nada. Also similar fun to the half-moon/hangetsu style is the triangle style (square wrapper, folded over filling). Best dipping sauce to try though is raw egg, crazy good stuff.
After hearing so many other chefs referencing your work and seeing your name all over the cooking world, it just doesn't seem right that you only have 1.5m subs. But I'm glad to add to that counter. Please continue your work! Thank you
just made these darned things and they're so straight-forward and wonderful (although my pleating will improve with practice, i'm sure)... and in true Kenji style, i used what i had - including wonton wrappers, packaged coleslaw mix that included cabbage and carrot, and i did NOT realize i was out of garlic (subbed garlic powder)... still turned out really great!
I made them myself yesterday and they were amazing! So juicy and tender on the inside with a nice crust on the outside. I added finely chopped carrots to the mix and they gave it a nice crunch. Crumping (is that the right word?) the rim is quite challenging at first, but none of them opened up or fell appart.
I love your videos man. I first started watching you at the peak of the pandemic, I just had a child, life was so out of control. But watching your videos saved me man. I love gyoza!
Making these for dinner tonight. Thanks for the instructions. Anyone that knows enough science to mention lever types while cooking gets my enthusiastic approval! Edit: Made them, they were delicious, much better than the frozen ones from the store. And I have extra now frozen for future meals, And I had a lot of fun doing the wrapping with my visiting Cousin Ann. Thanks Kenji for a very memorable meal!
The best gyoza use the extra cornstarch trick where they use extra cornstarch and water and pour it in the pan to get more extra crispy bits. But it is still a great recipe and I appreciate all the hard work you do for the community. Thank you very much!!!
Oh, I love gyoza! I'll never forget working in New York there was a Japanese restaurant somewhere in Midtown that served a delicious incredible gyoza soup I've never had anything like it since then. I've tried replicating it but never really quite got it the same!
Can't wait to make these. If my husband and myself are at a restaurant that have wontons, dumplings, gyozas they are a MUST order. I also like that I can make a bunch and we can bring them out for late night snacks.
Thank you; you just saved me a significant step. For some reason, I always thought they needed to be steamed in a basket first then transferred to the skillet for browning (I guess I thought the steaming would lessen the crispiness). This will definitely save some time.
This Video taught me something. Not the recipe, I do a similar one with pork and shrimp. But the lid you use. I have thought about getting a lid for my Lodge cast iron pan (it's 10.25" per their website, 10" lids don't fit), that I use for potstickers. Seeing you use what looks like a unrelated soup pot lid made me check my soup pot lids, and one fits almost perfectly, and even covers the pouring lips. Never thought of checking. Thanks Kenji
I’ve made many friends after my Japanese aunt taught me how to make gyoza 🥟 30 years ago. Simple , once you get it right , gyoza is a very social dish. My teens never have a place to be if I say I’m making gyoza.
I made these today. I like them! Made once part the way he does here, added some sesame oil to the other part just to see what that did. I like them too. Made the dipping sauce like he did here. Yeah, it all works. I now have them 6 to a snack bag in the freezer.
That dogs been fed those b4, no hesitation. Gyoza is the best dumpling ever. I remember going to a shpp just outside and down near the train station in fusa and the gyoza was green, I believe made with spinach?? Anyhow tried to make them myself and the one thing i didnt do was the salt and cabbage. Mine always came out soggy now i know better thanks!!!
I bought your books and like them. I've had a 20% higher success/satisfaction rate with Food Lab vs. Wok (90% vs 70%) for the recipes I've attempted or used techniques I learned in the books. Thanks! Good work.
