Hi again!

It’s December ( can you believe it!? ) which means the year is coming to a close. A lot of things happened this year – many good, some really bad, and lots in between. The New Year is a time for new beginnings, for new challenges, and new victories. Out with the old and in with the new. I love this time of year because it makes me reflect on the past and gives me hope for a fresh start.

Dumpling filling is a mix of pork, beef, tofu, kimchi, scallions, onions and a soy based sauce

After our champagne flutes clink and after our annual New Years celebratory kiss,  it’s time to eat! More specifically it’s officially Dumpling soup time!!!! This soup is referred to as Manduguk (sounds like mahn-du-gook) in Korean. Mandu means dumpling and Guk means soup. This is Greg’s most favorite dish and I only make it on New Years Day so imagine how excited he is! The kimchi dumplings play a major role in the soup so I wanted to focus mainly on the dumplings today and dive into every decadent detail of my Manduguk soup recipe next week.

As kids manduguk preparation started several days before New Years Day. The prep involved making the mandu dumplings…lots of dumplings. My sister and I would be elbow deep in flour and meat. Laughing, joking, and repeating the fold and pinch technique until we couldn’t even see our fingers because they were coated in flour.

Pinch one side of the wrapper and fold onto itself to complete the pleat

The kimchi dumplings are stuffed with a mixture of beef, pork, tofu, and kimchi. The pork adds a little fat and savoriness to the filling while the tofu makes it fluffy and juicy. My mandu preparation table is lined with mandu wrappers, egg wash, and dumpling filling. I place a mound of filling onto the center of the wrapper, brush one edge with egg wash, fold, and pinch and pleat to seal the wrapper. The pinch and pleat technique is key to keeping a sealed mandu. The last thing you want to see is a deflated mandu shell next to exploded filling…that’s tragic. So, pinch and pleat!

Once the kimchi dumplings are made, I line them on a flour rimmed tray and pop them in the freezer. I make it up to a week ahead before New Years Day so they are ready to go. They can keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. When the dumplings are made in bulk they can instantly be enjoyed on their own as a snack or an appetizer. You can prepare them fried, steamed, or a combination of both (that’s my preference). Just freeze them and they are ready to be served in minutes. I serve them with my tangy sweet soy dipping sauce which you can find below.

For steamed dumplings – once water starts boiling, place dumplings in steamer and keep covered for 10 minutes. Serve.

I wanted to share this recipe early so that you could join me in the tradition of preparing the mandu kimchi dumplings before New Years day. Stay tuned for part two, the making of Manduguk! I can’t wait to share it with you!

I like my dumplings fried and steamed. Fry one side for 4 minutes on low heat, turn and fry for 2 minutes. Then add a little water just enough to cover 1/2 inch of dumpling. Cover and steam for another 4 minutes. Serve.