Shomai is one of the most popular Chinese dim sum dishes. It’s traditionally made with steamed pork or shrimp and is a bite-sized treat that’s full of flavor.
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What is Shomai Dumpling?
Also called Shumai, it is a traditional type of steamed Chinese dumpling that’s often served for dim sum.
What is Shomai Made of?
Traditionally, Shomai is made with ground pork, minced shrimp, mushroom, green onion, and ginger. The mixture is seasoned with Chinese cooking wine, chicken stock, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
Shomai vs Dumplings
Shomai and dumplings are somewhat similar but the filling is different. Traditional shomai is filled with ground pork and shrimp, while dumplings contain ground meat and veggies. Both types of dumplings are often served with a savory soy and vinegar dipping sauce.
Popular Shomai / Shumai Recipes
- Pork Shumai:This recipe takes you step-by-step on how to make classic shumai dumplings, including how to freeze them to enjoy later!
- Shrimp Shumai: If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll want to give this recipe a try. The shumai is flavored with ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil, and then pressed into wonton wrappers. Serve these tasty treats as appetizers at your next party!
- Chinese Steamed Dumplings Siu Mai: Won ton wrappers make easy work of these delicious siu mai dumplings! Watch the video for tips on how to stuff and fold the wrappers.
- Crab and Pork Shumai Recipe: Crab pairs beautifully with ground pork in this dish. They have wonderful flavors and take just 35 minutes to make!
- Chinese Chicken Shumai Recipe: If you prefer chicken over pork, this is the recipe for you. The dumplings are made with ground thigh meat, and are deliciously tender and juicy!
What Does Shomai Taste Like?
It has a soft texture that’s similar to ground meat and is delicately flavored. Some shumai is adorned with a green pea or a sprinkling of fish eggs. Some restaurants prepare shomai with a hint of ginger, while others do not.
Shomai Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz ground pork
- 5 oz shrimp chopped
- 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2.5 tsp sugar
- 5 tsp cooking wine
- 2 tbsp finely minced green onions
- 25 wonton wrappers
- optional flying fish roe for serving
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water. Then chopped them finely.
- Place pork, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, and sugar into a large bowl. Mix well with a spoon or your hands for about 30 seconds until the mixture becomes pasty.
- Add the mushrooms, shrimp and green onions, and gently mix until just combined.
Wrap Shomai
- Form an “O” with your forefinger and thumb.
- Place a wonton wrapper over the “O”. Push a heaping teaspoon of the filling into the wrapper.
- Use a butter knife or the back of a spoon to add more filling until it is level with the top of the wrapper.
- Place the filled wrapper on a work surface and push down with your fingers to flatten the base of the dumpling.
Cook Shomai
- Line a 12″ bamboo steamer (or steamer insert) with parchment that’s been poked to create holes.
- Fill a wok large enough to hold the steamer with about 2 cups of water. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat.
- Place the dumplings into the steamer. Cover with the lid, and place into the wok above the simmering water.
- Steam for about 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the dumplings reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the steamer from the wok and place a sprinkling of roe or a single green pea in the middle of each dumpling.
Make the Dipping Sauce
- Make a quick and easy dipping sauce by combining 3 parts soy sauce, 1 part vinegar, and sriracha to taste. Mix well and serve with the dumplings.
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