Question of the Day: Chinese dumplings—steamed or fried?
Or, to put it another way, fried or steamed?
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26 Comments:
Neither.
"Pot stickers" are dumplings put in a wok with a little water and coked until the water evaporates. They are browned on one side where they touched the wok but are mostly steamed. Here in Athens Georgia only one Chinese restaurant does them right. Others deep fat fry them which is something else entirely. (like fried wontons) If not cooked as pot stickers I like them steamed.
Gashrink
gashrink at 9:21AM on 01/31/07
And there's boiled, one of the most common way of cooking dumplings in China at least. They're all called different things depending on the way you cook them...but I second gashrink on potstickers though I love them boiled.
Cathy@noteatingoutinny at 10:04AM on 01/31/07
steamed. i love how it makes the dumpling dough nice and chewy!
Stacy at 10:31AM on 01/31/07
Gashrink - I think "dumplings" is a general term for any dough that's stuffed with meat, veggies or both (example: At dim sum, there are har gow (shrimp dumplings) and sui mai (pork dumplings)).
My favorite dumplings are potstickers though, and I like them pan fried.
JadedOne at 11:40AM on 01/31/07
This is the way I do it. I "fry" one side of the dumplings, a panful at a time, then pour into the pan a small-ish amount of very hot water, then cover the pan with a glass lid, and "steam" them for about 90 seconds, or until they are cooked through. This is the way I was taught by my daughter's amah to do it.
dksbook at 11:53AM on 01/31/07
Steamed for sure! That is, if you like to actually taste the flavor of the dumpling as opposed to the flavor of "fried".
andreaharner.com at 12:10PM on 01/31/07
as described above, fried on one side then steamed in the same pan
pitu at 12:18PM on 01/31/07
Steamed, and filled with soup so that as you pull away the soft steamy dough, your spoon fills with yummy broth. Droooollll.
megnut at 1:44PM on 01/31/07
Whatever the kids are calling not-fried these days. Pot stickers are fine, as long as they're still tender.
nita at 2:03PM on 01/31/07
I love all dumplings equally.
Alaina Browne at 2:36PM on 01/31/07
I like the way we did it back in china: steamfry the dumpling skin on one side until it's golden brown, long and tender, then fill it with raw baby panda broth. by broth I mean blood.
peco at 2:37PM on 01/31/07
peco.....surely you jest
ThatGirl153 at 4:25PM on 01/31/07
Oddly enough, this is one category where I DON'T prefer the fried version. Give me steamed or boiled. The real question, however, should be Cha siu bao: baked or steamed? In that case, give me the baked every time. I don't think that's the "authentic" way to do them, but I love me them baked cha siu bao. This cha sui sou thingy also looks awesome.
Adam Kuban at 5:37PM on 01/31/07
I prefer to call them yummplings.
Internet Rockstar at 6:42PM on 01/31/07
This is one of those silly faux choices like hard cheeses or soft cheeses. There are wonderful dumplings best savored steamed, others, often accompanied by intense sauces, are delicious pan fried. Mix and match, try out a great variety, whatever type you feel like eating is the best way to savor dumplings (I like the term "yummplings"!).
Thor Thorson at 8:07PM on 01/31/07
I like "Gashrink" 's method.
And as they are called many names, mine are
" Millie's Pierogies from Chicopee Falls "
No difference !
Peter
kanopemain at 8:20PM on 01/31/07
I hate when the insides fall out of the steamed ones. Argh!
Myszka at 8:21PM on 01/31/07
I'm an equal opportunity dumpling lover. Give me fried, steamed or boiled... I love them all!
Also, thank you Adam for citing my cha siu sou. :) Probably I'll talk to Robyn to bring some up to you if you'd like.
tina.w at 8:56PM on 01/31/07
Fried. Everything tastes better fried. Actually, I believe they refer to it as 'pan seared' but its essentially fried.
blogsoop at 9:29PM on 01/31/07
Yaye for Millie's! So good.
As for me, if they're meat yummplings, I prefer them fried; if they're vegetable dumplings, I prefer them steamed.
AdamH at 10:18PM on 01/31/07
it really depends on my mood, both ways are sooooo good. but i think i would have to lean towards the fried ones anything fried just taste better. heehee
Ultrateg at 1:01AM on 02/01/07
@tina.w: I looked for a write-up of the cha siu sou on your blog to link to but couldn't find it. Just not that notable or am I not searching correctly?
Adam Kuban at 8:20AM on 02/01/07
fried on both sides aka meat pies, especially those stuffed with real chinese leeks and beef!
tarelki at 11:04AM on 02/01/07
I'm with Megnut on the soup dumplings, but if I can't have xiao long bao then I'm going to have my dumplings fried! My second favorite dumplings are actually gyoza, which are both fried and steamed.
Adam, I think you linked to tina.w's Flickr photo of cha sui sou earlier.
lia at 2:44PM on 02/01/07
Yeah. I did link to her Flickr of it, but I was hoping she had an in-depth write-up on Wandering Eater. I like the soup dumplings the most. I finally learned how to eat them like a pro (or at least a serious amateur).
Adam Kuban at 4:43PM on 02/01/07
Hey Adam, you may read that particular post here.
I also linked it up that photo, too for the other curious minds. Any questions, just post it on my blog.
tina.w at 6:55PM on 02/01/07