Dim Sum is one of the best ways to enjoy brunch with friends. just choose a whole bunch of dishes to share for the table and dig in with chopsticks! Two of my favorite selections are Shumai and Law Bok Gow. Let’s make them at home!
Now let’s make one thing clear: my friends know if you come to eat at my place you are a willing and participating guinea pig! I have been waiting a long time to get a kick in the butt to try my hand at some Chinese Dim Sum recipes. The marriage here was perfect and I prepared Shumai | shāomài | 燒賣 (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings) and Law Bok Gow | Luóbo gāo | 蘿蔔糕 (Daikon Radish Cake). It’s Food ‘n Flix and Creative Cooking Crew time again, all wrapped up into one post! For Food ‘n Flix the chosen film was Kung Fu Panda 1 and/or 2; and for the Creative Cooking Crew challenge was “What’s for Breakfast?”.
Dim Sum Brunch
Going to Chinatown for Dim Sum on a Sunday morning with friends is bliss. If you are not familiar with it, Dim sum refers to a style of Cantonese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum is also well known for the unique way it is served in some restaurants, whereby fully cooked and ready-to-serve dim sum dishes are carted around the restaurant for customers to choose their orders while seated at their tables.
I have wanted to prepare a few Dim Sum dishes for quite some time but I found the idea of making several dishes for one meal overwhelming. For this challenge I settled for two dishes that consisted of a pretty complete meal. Of course one had to be steamed dumplings, the corner stone of a Dim Sum meal. One of my favorites is an unusual combination of a pork and shrimp recipe. I also like the open face style dumpling.
Shumai | shaomài | (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 180 g ground pork
- 200 g raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp soya sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 20-25 sheets dumpling or wonton wrappers round best but squares work
- 1/2 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Place shrimp into a bowl and mix with 1/2 tbsp of salt. Gently massage the shrimp with your hands, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
- Chop the shrimp into coarse pieces. In a food processor place the shrimp, pork, soya sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and corn starch. Process the mixture lightly until just mixed.
- Cover wrappers with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying. Make an "O" with your thumb and index finger. Place a sheet of wonton wrapper over the "O" and press down to make a basket shape. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Gather the edges of the wrapper around the filling and gently pleat so that it forms a basket shape, with the top of the filling exposed. If using a square sheet cut the extra wrapper of fold over corners outwards. Lightly tap the dumpling’s bottom to flatten so that it stands up. Repeat until all the filling is used.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper at the bottom of a bamboo steamer. Place the Shumai while taking care to leave space in between them.
- Bring water to a boil over high heat in a saucepan that is larger than the bamboo steamer. Lower to a rolling simmer. Place the bamboo steamer in the saucepan, cover with bamboo lid and steam for 10 minutes. Serve.
Kung Fu Panda 2
When I saw the movie choice this month was Kung Fu Panda 2, picked by Heather at girlichef, I could not help but giggle. I really liked the first movie years back and wanted to see the 2nd one. I got a copy about 7 months ago but I let it collect dust. When you don’t have kids it is a bit harder to pick the animated movie lol. Now I know it was a sign. I have to say I liked the original movie better -which was more food oriented – but this second in the series was very much enjoyable. Highly recommend the series for the whole family.
Here is the storyline: in the Valley of Peace, Po Ping is revelling in his fulfilled dreams as he serves as the fabled Dragon Warrior protecting his home with his heroes now his closest friends. However, Po and company learn that the murderous Lord Shen of Gongman City is threatening the land with a fearsome new weapon that could mean the end of kung fu. They attempt to stop him, but the panda is burdened with crippling memory flashbacks linked to this villain. Now with China in the balance, Po must learn about his past and find true inner peace against all opposition.
Although there are many food references in the movie there is only one ingredient that particularly stands out: the crate of red radishes where Pu, as a baby, was found by his adoptive father. Radishes are definitely a challenge. I once participated in a group 3-course meal where this was our main ingredient (Fish tortilla with a Radish Salsa).
A Radish Cake?
When I came across a Chinese radish cake I knew I hit the jackpot. Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art and the film takes place in China. Traditionally this cake is prepared with Daikon, a mild-flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish. But for the sake of the movie I picked colorful spring radishes which just so happened to be mild. Law Bok Gow, or Daikon Radish Cake, it was and it lead to the whole Dim Sum concept of this post.
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Really enjoyed both recipes greatly. I purchase a bamboo steamer years ago but I had only used it once, so I was glad to use it again. I did cut some of the salt from the dumpling recipe as I found it way to salty. And I would add lots of coriander to the pork mixture next time. The radish cake is perhaps an acquired taste – the texture is odd and dense – but I have to say I liked it. My Daikon Radish Cake is also a modified vegetarian recipe as the original one contains Chinese sausage and dried shrimps.
Thank you for this fun film choice by Heather for Food ‘n Flix! And thank you Lazaro Cooks and Foodalogue for this month’s fun challenge. Check out what the other members have created on our Pinterest board by clicking on the banner below.
I love dim sum! What I also like about this is the open face shumai. YUM!
Dim sum is the way to go. Great post.
The turnip cake is one of my favorite types of dim sum. Try adding some finely chopped Chinese sausage or pork!
If you only have access to square dumpling wrappers and aren’t interested in making your own, use a biscuit cutter so you don’t get the sagging corners – you can always deep fry the trim and dust it with powdered sugar…
Wow! Two gorgeous dishes. Can never have enough of Dim sums but the radish cake is new to me. Same experience with the bamboo steamer…just used it a few times. Thanks for the inspiration.
What a fabulous post! I am a big dim sum for breakfast (or anytime) fan but I admit to being lazy enough that I prefer to go out for it–especially in the morning. Hah! Your dumplings look perfect and I love the radish cakes–I have tried the daikon version before but I think the spring radish would be even better.
I am looking forward to seeing Bridesmaids again and viewing it from a foodie perspective (except for maybethe unfortunate steak restaurant and dress shopping…). 😉
I’m personally quite obsessed with dim sum, both going out for it and cooking dim sum specialties in my own kitchen. Shu Mai are some of my go-to dumplings and yours look tasty! I’ve only tried law bok goy once, and yours look just like the ones I’ve tried. Really well done 🙂
LOVE it! Looking forward to your pick for next month. I haven’t seen that.
Love you inspiration. I have a hilarious dim sum story about how our waitress thought we couldn’t handle sme of the offerings and gave us really pedestrian stuff. :). Great post. Can’t wait for Bridesmaids!
Super delicious! I never get tired of eating dim sum and I can have it as an appetizer, breakfast, lunch or dinner 😛
That cake sounds interesting…I would love to try it,Evelyne!
I make shumai sometimes, but never tried daikon cake! Wow that’s how you make it!! I’m excited that I can make it at home instead of eating it at dim sum. 🙂
Neat! I am so happy to learn about a radish cake, I will definitely make it with my Korean radish (moo). Thank you dear, for the inspiration!
LL
I wish I had a Chinatown in Miami, you make me miss it. In Sydney, we called it “yum-cha.” Love your entries and have made both myself! Dim sum is my fave! Good job!
I am a dim sum fan, but we have none here in Nashville. These would be so wonderful for a brunch.
I love dim sum and every weekend we go to our favorite dim sum place where I order shu mai, prok and ginger and shark fin. After seeing this post, I really am craving it. Looks incredible!!
you have given me a hankering for dim-sum – chinatown here I come
Wow, Evelyne! Congratulations, you are the winner for me! Great meals! 🙂 ela
What a great response to what seems to me a very difficult challenge! The dim sum looks refined and tasty.
I love the radish cake! It’s a must-have when visiting a Cantonese restaurant.
Dim Sum. DIM. SUM. I looove dim sum. It has to be with the right people though. These look really tasty, and I’m not really a fan of radish. If they are made with a milder form I’d be willing to try.
There is one dim sum restaurant in town and I go there as much as possible. I love dim sum! I’d love to see both of these on the dim sum tray where I go. I’d definitely say “two please”. 🙂 Great bites of deliciousness!
Evelyne…we loved those cloud like plump dumplings and radish cakes….if it was possible…we would have loved being the taste tester for the dumplings you make….we heart them and can probably have them everyday,thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Great idea for our challenge … I can just picture a lazy Sunday wandering around Chinatown for an over-crowded and popular dim sum treat.
This is such a fun post. I was really hoping that somebody would choose the radish story as inspiration! Both of the things that you made look delicious, but those steamed dumplings are just beautiful – I love how they are open parcels! Thanks so much for cooking along with Kung Fu Panda this month. 🙂