Gyoza, the Japanese pot-stickers, are usually pleated into half-moon shaped dumplings. They look elegant, but if you work through the process step by step a few times it’s actually quite easy to do. You can buy gyoza wrappers, usually in the freezer sections of Asian/Japanese groceries. Gyoza wrappers are made with wheat flour, and should be thinner around the edges because the peating makes the dough thick, and it will take longer to cook than the body of the wrapper. Or you can make your own dumpling wrappers. As a last resort, you can use wonton wrappers; they will be easier to work with for pleating if you cut them into circles. For the filling, try pork pot stickers or pork, wakame, and miso gyoza.
What to have ready before you start:
Form the filling into a ball, then divide it into quarters. Work with one portion at a time and keep the remainder in the fridge. Have ready a small bowl of cold water to seal the edges of the dumplings. Have a cookie sheet covered with a cotton cloth to place the finished dumplings on..
Dip your finger into a bowl of cold water and trace around the edge of the gyoza wrapper. The dough needs to be dampened for it to seal.
Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of a wrapper and fold it in half. Don’t overfill—leave enough of the wrapper to make the pleats!
>
.
.
Pinch the edges of the wrapper together in the middle of the round edge of the moon.
.
.
.
.
You are going to pleat only the top of the dumpling.
Put a finger into the right side of the dumpling and push a little pleat of dough toward the sealed middle of the gyoza. Withdraw your finger and press into place to make sure it seals.
.
.
.
.
.
Push a second pleat to the right of the first one.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Look at the right corner of the dumpling and you will see a small triangular opening. Press the corner up toward the top of the dumpling to form a third pleat.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This shows the third pleat just as it’s pressed toward the top of the dumpling.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The right half of the dumpling is complete.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Make a pleat on the left side, near the middle.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Make a second pleat…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…and push it toward the middle on the left side.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Remember the little corner triangle you had on the right side? Push the edge toward the front.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Pleating and sealing the gyoza is complete.
Congratulations!!!
now make 39 more…
.
.
.
| ⇐ Previous Post | Next Post ⇒ | |
| Pork and Wakame Gyoza | Gyoza: Frying the Dumplings |
Tess's Japanese Kitchen 
Pingback: Pork and Wakame Gyoza « Tess’s Japanese Kitchen
Now I see why my gyoza were never as attractive as yours – that’s a completely different technique than the one I learned, and it seems like a much better method, too.
It still takes a world of patience, but after a lot of practice, I understand you can go really, really fast.
From a wistful,
Marcia
Wow!!!! One handed. Amazing. Talk about coordinated. I’ve got to try it. Thanks for the detail pictures and narrative.
Marcia,
So what was your technique? Have you ever tried to make boiled dumplings like this with rice-wrappers instead of wheat wrappers?
When I first made “pot-stickers” years ago (30 years??!), I used wonton wrappers and shaped them sort of like the wontons I’d had in soups at (American) Chinese restaurants: sort of like tortellini (sp?) with the corners offset. I even made deep-fried wontons back then! Then my daughter became friends with a girl from China, and her mother made boiled dumplings that were pleated in a complicated way; she’d send some home with my daughter and for me to warm them up I’d pan-fry them. So do you remember my early posts about my project (?) when I tried to pleat my first Japanese dumplings on both sides, like my daughter’s friend’s mother did?
Hi lance!
Yup—one handed. It’s the magic of photography. :-) Don’t try this at home!
Seriously, I really did want to make a useful set of pictures. If this helped, good, but I’ll have to try again to make it better…
I just followed your step by step to pleat gyoza!! Thanks!
making dumplings may be my only skill for being Asian, I am not as good as you are though. I appreciate your time and willingness to teach people about art of cooking!
Pingback: Spicy Pork Dumplings | Lawyer in the Kitchen l Learn to cook easy, healthy recipes
Pingback: Sweet & Spicy Pork Dumplings | Lawyer in the Kitchen l Learn to cook easy, healthy recipes