Crab, garlic chive and chestnut steamed dumplings

Dumplings are big at the moment - soft dough filled with a variety of fillings, such as crab, herbs, fish and roasted nuts. A simple technique for cooking the filled dumplings is to steam and serve as-is, or you can then fry them gently in a little sesame oil until slightly crisp. I have given instructions for making the dumpling pastry, but for a quicker and easier option you can find it in most Asian supermarkets.

Dough

100 g	Cornflour
4 Tbsp	Tapioca flour
2 tsp	Peanut oil
150 ml	Water, boiling

Filling

200 g	Crab meat (Main)
¼ cup	Garlic chives, finely chopped
3	Water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 tsp	Soy sauce, plus extra to serve
½ tsp	Sesame oil
½ tsp	White pepper
1 tsp	Peanut oil

Directions

1. To make the dough, sieve the two flours together then make a well and pour in the boiling water.
2. Mix well with a wooden spoon then add the oil and turn out. Knead for about 5 minutes or until smooth.
3. Return to a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes before using.
4. To make the filling, combine all the ingredients and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
5. Divide the dough and roll out on a lightly oiled bench into ovals, approximately 5 x 6cm. Fill with 1 tsp of the filling then pinch the edges together to form a pouch. (Try to pleat the dough to be authentic.)
6. Steam the dumplings for 7 minutes then serve with soy sauce.