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The Dumpling 100 · make it at home

Korean pork, tofu and kimchi mandu

1 hr 15 min · About 36, 4 to 6 people

Korean dumplings with a lighter, tofu-rich filling and plenty of kimchi and glass noodles, steamed, pan-fried or dropped into soup (manduguk).

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The real one

You need

• 250 g (1/2 lb) ground pork
• 200 g (7 oz) firm tofu, crumbled and squeezed dry in a towel
• 150 g (1 cup) well-fermented kimchi, chopped and squeezed dry
• 50 g (2 oz) dangmyeon (sweet potato glass noodles), boiled 6 minutes, rinsed and chopped
• 100 g (1 cup) mung bean sprouts, blanched 1 minute, squeezed and chopped
• 3 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg
• 36 round mandu or dumpling wrappers
• For the dip: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp gochugaru, 1 tsp sesame seeds

How to make it

1. Prep the vegetables (20 min): Squeeze the tofu, kimchi and sprouts as dry as you can; wet filling makes soggy mandu.
2. Mix the filling (5 min): Combine pork, tofu, kimchi, noodles, sprouts, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper and egg. Knead by hand 1 minute.
3. Wrap (25 min): Put a heaping tablespoon in each wrapper, wet the edge, fold into a half-moon and press out the air. For the round Gaeseong shape, bring the two corners together and pinch.
4. Steam (10 min): Steam on oiled parchment over boiling water for 10 minutes, until the wrappers turn translucent.
5. Or pan-fry (8 min): Fry in a tablespoon of oil until golden on one side, add 60 ml (1/4 cup) water, cover 4 minutes, uncover and crisp 1 minute.
6. Or make manduguk (10 min): Simmer 1.5 liters beef or anchovy stock, season with soy, drop in 12 mandu and simmer 6 minutes until they float, then swirl in a beaten egg and top with scallions and seaweed.
7. Serve with the dip.

Tips

• Mandu freeze well; most Korean families make a big batch before the Lunar New Year.
• Old, sour kimchi has the most flavor here.

Chef Amazing's own home version of mandu, in our words; not any restaurant's recipe.