Dwaeji Mandu – Korean Pork Dumplings

If you don’t know me by now, I’m a big fan of mandu 만두 (aka dumplings). I made pork & kimchi dumplings recently which are yums! In this post I will share with you the regular mandu recipe adapted from Maangchi. Since I don’t eat beef, I use all 3 cups of minced pork. Also included are how-to on wrapping pea pod and hat shape mandus.

Let’s make mandu fillings!

Place minced pork in a large bowl and add seasonings (salt, sesame oil and ground pepper). Mix well and set aside.

Place chopped chives in a small bowl. Add vegetable oil and mix well. Transfer chives to the large bowl. Coat chives with vegetable oil so that it can retain its moisture. Then, remove mushroom stems and chop to small pieces.

Place chopped mushrooms, chopped half onions in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and sugar and mix well. Transfer to the large bowl.

Squeeze 1 tofu with cotton cloth or paper towel to remove the water. Since I’m a lazy person, I just use my hand to squeeze out the water. Place the tofu in a small bowl and add pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well and transfer to the large bowl.

Mandu filling is ready to be mixed.

Mixed mandu filling. Now it’s ready for wrapping.

How To Wrap Korean Mandu (Dumplings):
There are 2 ways which I love to wrap them; pea pod shape and hat shape. The first step is similar for both.

L-to-R: Place a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the mandu skin. Then apply some water to the edge of the mandu skin which will act as sealant. Fold over the skin and seal tightly while pushing the air out with your fingers.

A. How To Wrap Pea Pod Shape Mandu

L-to-R: Apply some water to the half-moon edge. Then pleat the edge together. You get pea pod shape mandu!

A. How To Wrap Hat Shape Mandu

L-to-R: Very gently bring edges of mandu skin together. Wet one edge with water and seal the edge together. You get hat shape mandu!

All done! I’m getting better at shaping the mandus since it’s my second time making mandu from scratch. 🙂

Now you can steam, pan-fried or make them with soup. Refer to this post for steaming and pan-fried mandu. For soup recipe, refer to: mandu doenjang guk and Korean rice cakes soup with leeks & mandu. If you’re looking for simple clear soup, try mandu guk recipe here.

Mandu – Korean Dumplings
Adapted from Maangchi
Yields 45 pieces

3 cups minced pork
2 cups Asian chives, chopped
5 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stem removed and chopped
1 tofu
1/2 big onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
mandu skins (50 pieces)

For minced pork:
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Method:
1. Place 3 cups of minced pork into a large bowl.

2. Add salt, sesame oil, ground pepper and mix by hand. Place the meat on the side of the bowl.

3. Put chopped chives in a small bowl. Add vegetable oil and mix it up. Reason for doing this so that the chives retain its moisture. Now place the mixed chives next to the meat in the large bowl.

4. Put chopped shiitake mushrooms and half an onion in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and sugar and mix it up. Again, transfer to the large bowl.

5. Squeeze 1 tofu with cotton cloth or paper towel to extract the water and put in a small bowl. Add pinch of salt and 1 teaspoons sesame oil. Mix it and transfer to the large bowl.

6. In the large bowl, add minced garlic and mix all ingredients by hand. Your mandu filling is ready!

Happy wrapping!