Food

How to make pork dumplings, sweet sesame pancakes for Lunar New Year with chef Ming Tsai

Savory dumplings and a sweet dippable dessert.

February 5, 2024, 7:46 AM

For Lunar New Year, chef Ming Tsai shared a few foods and recipes to start off the year of the dragon with good luck and abundance.

The chef, restaurateur, James Beard Award and Emmy Award-winning culinary host joined "Good Morning America" on Monday to help home cooks incorporate ingredients and dishes for prosperity and luck.

VIDEO: Ming Tsai shares Lunar New Year recipes
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Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Dumplings resemble ingots of gold and are consumed on Chinese New Year to bring fortune into the new year. In theory, no one is supposed to handle a knife on New Year's Day, so dumplings should be done the night before.

Ingredients
3 cups chopped napa cabbage
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound ground pork (don't get lean pork, the fat is good for juice and flavor)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 stalks scallions, sliced (save 1/4 cup of green scallions for sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 package dumpling wrappers
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Grapeseed oil, for sauteing
Egg wash (1 egg with water)

Dim Sum Dipper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sambal
1 tablespoon sliced scallions (from list above)

Mango-Orange Dipper1 ripe mango, peeled, cut off seed
Zest and juice or 1 orange
1 teaspoon minced ginger

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Directions

Sprinkle the cabbage with the 1 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 30 minutes.

Place the cabbage on a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth and squeeze out any water. The dryer the cabbage the better.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the cabbage with pork, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions and sesame oil. Cook or microwave a tester to check the seasoning.

Make the dumplings: Place a small mound of filling in the middle of wrapper and lightly brush egg wash all the way around. Fold skin and press all air out to seal. Make crimps, starting in the center and going left and right, about 5-7 total crimps. Make sure bottom of dumpling is flat for best crisping.

Cook the dumplings: Boil, steam or pan sear. All great methods.

Serve: Mix dim sum dipper ingredients and serve alongside dumplings in side dipping bowl. Puree all mango-orange dipper ingredients together and season, serving alongside dumplings.

Wok Stirred Baby Bok Choy

Bok Choy is the color of money so green veggies are always consumed on New Year's Day.

Ingredients
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 pound baby bok choy, washed well
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons sherry or shoaling wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Grapeseed oil to cook

Directions

In a hot wok or saute pan, coat with oil and add scallions. Stir, then add garlic and ginger, and season. Add bok choy. Stir fry, then add tamari and sherry. Plate and garnish w sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Sweet Sesame Pancake with Five Spice Chocolate Dipper

Yield: 4 pancakes

Ingredients

Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Filling
Toasted sesame oil
1 cup smooth almond butter
Toasted white sesame seeds
Cane sugar

Five Spice Chocolate Dipper
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup pistoles bittersweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder

Directions

For the five spice chocolate dipper: Heat cream until bubbling. Pour on top of chocolate and spice and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk together.

Using a standing mixer with dough hook, add the flour, salt and sugar, and drizzle in the hot water. Once a ball is formed, mix for 3 minutes. Dough should be soft. Hand-knead on floured surface, folding on itself. Form into a ball and cover with moistened cloth and let stand 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, divide dough into 4 balls.

On floured surface, roll out a piece until thin, about 1/8 inch thick. Drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil and spread evenly to the edges. Smooth 1/4 cup of almond butter, then cover with sesame seeds and light coating of sugar.

Roll the pancake into thin rod, twist to create more layers, spiral on itself, then roll out to 1/4-inch pancake.

In a large saute pan on med-high heat, coat with oil and sear the pancake until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook until golden.

Transfer to cutting board lined with paper towels. Cut like a pizza and serve with Five Spice Chocolate Dipper.

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