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
For the dough:
All-purpose flour – 2 & ½ cups
Salt – 1 tsp
Hot water as required (approximately 1 cup)
For dipping sauce:
Rice vinegar – 1 tbsp
Light soy sauce – 2 tbsp
Salt – ¼ tsp or to taste
Minced green onion – 2 tsp
Other ingredient:
Vegetable / canola oil – 4 tbsp
Instructions
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!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://www.flavorquotient.com/2019/01/chicken-potsticker/