sure. wait. what?

Today I made dumplings.

First, I made the wrappers. I mixed 1 cup + 2 tbsp of flour and 1/3 cup of hot water using a spoon. Once the clumps formed, I used my hands to knead the, uh, dough? Can I call it a dough?

The thing — I used my hands to knead the Thing.

I kneaded the Thing until it firmed up, and that took about 7 to 8 minutes. I stopped when I was able to form a smooth ball (see above) and when the Thing could “spring back” whenever I gave it a light press.

I based my entire process on this video, so if you’re somehow inclined to try this recipe out, I guess it’s best to just listen to the gurus.

I transformed the Thing into Little Things, and I shaped them into flat circular wraps using a makeshift rolling pin. I ended up making 20 wrappers altogether.

Now for the filling. I basically just used the vegetables in our fridge that were about to go bad, and I added tofu and also some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

INGREDIENTS

» Tofu
» Zucchini
» Carrot
» Red bell pepper
» Mushroom
» Celery
» Onion
» Garlic
» Salt & pepper
» Garlic powder

Apparently I didn’t have the patience and the skills to make pretty, properly-sealed, shell-like dumplings. I watched YouTube tutorials to help me learn the technique but at some point I just stopped trying. My dumplings turned out to be of the semi-siomai, semi-empanada shape and, meh — I think they’re fine.

I steamed the dumplings for about five minutes instead of boiling them. They stuck to the plate and to each other as soon as they dried up, so I decided to air-fry them after steaming.

Before serving, I made sawsawan by mixing soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, and chopped garlic. I also took half of the fried dumplings and made pancit molo using veggie stock and celery.

This was my first time making dumplings so I’d give myself a 5 out of 10. The dumplings weren’t bad at all — I just didn’t like how they stuck against each other even when fried, and I didn’t enjoy the taste of the chopped garlic in the filling. Next time I make this, I will not include garlic at all.

Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, I heard there’s a super typhoon about to make landfall in the Philippines. If you’re reading this and you’re in Pinas, I hope you keep safe. Charge all your electronics, have candles and flashlights ready, and please stay warm. Ingat!