A potential good year must start with exceptionally good food and that’s exactly why I am starting my new year’s journey with this amazing chicken potsticker!
Chicken potsticker it is! After lot of debate on which recipe to go first on this new year, it is chicken potsticker indeed who won and I cannot be happier about it!
Since the time I made this chicken potsticker at home, being a dumpling-lover, I could not get over it! A food full of so much surprises is worth the awe which it brings with itself.
The outer casing of the chicken potsticker is crispy at the bottom and soft on top with superbly flavored minced meat inside – it is the perfect amalgamation of steamed and fried dumplings.
If you can never make up your mind between steamed and fried dumplings while ordering in a restaurant, I suggest you to opt for chicken potsticker as it combines the best of both worlds.
This chicken potsticker is a traditional Oriental dumpling and is simply outstanding in taste. Oriental cuisine is big on dumplings and you will find ample varieties of it.
Potsticker is one of the very popular dumplings and I can understand why people love it so much. While making my chicken potsticker, I learnt a new technique of cooking which, I am sure, will be very helpful for other recipes too.
To make an authentic potsticker, you need to brown the bottom of the dumpling while keeping the top completely un-browned (if that makes any sense); but at the same time, you have to ensure that the outer casing as well as the raw minced meat inside the dumpling are completely cooked! Sounds tricky?
Trust me it is not and even if it’s tricky to you at the least, I am here to help! You need to fry as well as steam at the same time; I have described it in detail in the recipe section below.
I hope you all had a fun-filled holiday break and are rejuvenated with new vigor to take on new challenges of life!
My vacation started a little late but was quite exciting one – met new people, had lot of great food, enjoyed lots of parties and now am back to business! That’s the circle of life isn’t it?
The more you enjoy this circle, the more value you will draw from life. Life is all about being happy for yourself and contributing similar happiness back to the community, don’t you think so?
My take on life is as simple as this and will continue like so in this new year too! I wish to spread more happiness to the society through my food and sharing more recipes than ever.
I have already started my journey with this scrumptious chicken potsticker and I assure you of many more lip-smacking recipes throughout the year!
Potsticker is more popularly filled with minced pork meat but I preferred chicken. I used chicken thigh meat which absorbs more flavors than chicken breast and due to its higher fat content, it retains the juiciness better than chicken breast meat.
Since I am not sure which meat is used for packed minced chicken, I prefer to mince it on my own. The aromatics in the chicken potsticker filling is very standard in Oriental cuisine but creates magical taste and flavor.
You must not omit any ingredient from the filling if you want to create the authentic Oriental Chicken potsticker at home. Trust me, this chicken potsticker will turn out to be even better than your favorite take-away! Enjoy!
- Chicken thighs – 500 gms, skinless and boneless
- Garlic – 10 to 15 cloves, minced (I love a little too much garlic; you may tone it down)
- Ginger – 1-inch piece, grated
- Green onion – 4, finely chopped (both green & white part)
- Light soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- White vinegar – 1 tsp
- Paprika – 1 tsp
- Freshly crushed black pepper – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- All-purpose flour – 2 & ½ cups
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Hot water as required (approximately 1 cup)
- Rice vinegar – 1 tbsp
- Light soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Salt – ¼ tsp or to taste
- Minced green onion – 2 tsp
- Vegetable / canola oil – 4 tbsp
- Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs. Cut them into small cubes, then grind them in a grinder to make chicken mince. You can totally skip this step and directly buy minced chicken from your local butcher. I prefer to mince my own chicken using chicken thighs for better texture.
- Take the chicken mince in a large bowl and add all the ingredients listed under ‘filling’ to the chicken. Mix everything thoroughly using hands or a spatula to make a homogeneous mixture. Cover with a plastic wrap and let it chill in refrigerator for an hour while you make the dough for chicken potstickers.
- To make the dough for potsticker wrappers, take the flour in a large bowl and season it with salt and mix well. Then make a well in the center of the flour and add half of the hot water.
- Mix the flour and water using a wooden spoon. Once all the water is incorporated add the remaining water, little at a time, and incorporate it with the flour making a shaggy dough i.e. not too sticky. You may or may not need the full cup of water depending on your local temperature; only ensure that all the flour is moistened with water.
- Once you have a rough dough and it’s cool enough to handle, knead it with hand for 6 to 8 minutes or until you get a smooth and soft dough. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Make the dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients listed under sauce. Give a thorough whisk and check & adjust for seasoning if needed. Set aside until you are ready to serve.
- When you are ready to make the chicken potstickers, make the wrappers first. To make the wrappers, first divide the dough into 4 parts. Keeping 3 parts under a damp kitchen towel, start working with 1 part of the dough.
- Roll out this portion of the dough into a log shape of about 8 inches long. Then cut the dough into 8 portions. Each portion will make 1 wrapper.
- Now take this 1 portion of wrapper dough and roll into a ball. Then flatten it between palms. Sprinkle some flour on your working surface and roll out the dough using a rolling pin to get a thin disc of about 4 inches wide.
- Once all the wrappers are ready, start filling them up one by one. First, damp the edge of the wrapper with water. Then place about a heaped tablespoon full of chicken mince mixture at the center of the wrapper.
- Then lift 2 opposite sides of the wrapper and press them together to close. Pleat and pinch the remaining edge to close. Alternatively, just press together without any pleats; it will still be very tasty.
- Place the prepared potstickers on a tray, cover them with cling wrap or damp tea towel while you prepare the remaining dumplings. Repeat with remaining potstickers.
- Now heat about 2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan (make sure to use a frying pan with well-fitted lid) over medium high heat.
- Place about 4 to 6 dumplings on the frying pan, depending on the size of the pan and press them lightly to flatten the base. Let them sit for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat until the base turns golden brown (check by lifting one up).
- Then add about ¼ cup of water along the side of the frying pan and immediately close it with the lid to trap all the steam in.
- Let the potstickers steam for 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Check after 5 minutes if the water has dried up and add a bit more; cover again to cook completely.
- Remove the lid; most of the water should have been evaporated by now and the pleats should be cooked through. Leave the frying pan on the stove until the base dries and the bottom of the potstickers are once again crisp.
- Take the dumplings out of the pan and transfer to serving plate. Repeat with remaining dumplings by adding 2 teaspoons of oil at a time. Serve the chicken potstickers warm with the prepared dipping sauce. Enjoy!
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