Prawn and courgette dumplings (pescatarian)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough: tip plain flour and half the fine sea salt into a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

2. 2

   Cover the dough with a bowl or cling film and leave to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling: roughly chop the raw king prawns (or pulse 2–3 short bursts in a food processor so you still have some texture). Grate the courgette, squeeze out all excess liquid using kitchen paper, then finely slice the spring onions and grate the fresh ginger and garlic.

4. 4

   Mix the filling in a bowl: combine the chopped prawns, squeezed courgette, spring onions, fresh ginger, garlic, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, sesame oil, cornflour and a pinch of the fine sea salt (about 1/4 tsp). Taste a tiny scrap by frying a pea-sized amount to check seasoning if unsure.

5. 5

   Divide and roll the dough: cut the rested dough into 24 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then press and roll out into a thin circle about 7–8 cm across (dust with plain flour sparingly to stop sticking).

6. 6

   Assemble the dumplings: put about 15 g of filling (roughly a heaped 1/2 tbsp) in the centre of each wrapper. Lightly moisten the edge of the wrapper with water, fold and pleat to seal, pressing firmly to avoid air pockets. Place finished dumplings on a tray dusted with plain flour so they don’t stick.

7. 7

   Cook in batches: heat 1 tsp of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a single layer of 8 dumplings and fry for 2–3 minutes until the bases are golden. Pour in 40 ml of the cold water (per batch) and immediately cover with a lid to steam. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the filling is cooked through. Remove lid and cook 30 seconds more to crisp the bases; transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with remaining dumplings.

8. 8

   Make the dipping sauce: combine the remaining 1 tbsp light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Stir until honey dissolves.

9. 9

   Serve the dumplings warm, scattered with chopped fresh coriander and extra sliced spring onions, with the dipping sauce on the side.

Tips

• If you have a food processor, pulse the prawns briefly for a fine but textured filling; don’t blitz to a paste.
• Always squeeze the grated courgette dry using kitchen paper — excess water is the number one cause of soggy dumplings.
• Work on a dusted tray and assemble in batches to stop wrappers drying out; cover unfinished dumplings with a damp tea towel.
• To freeze: place uncooked dumplings on a tray in a single layer, freeze until solid (about 1–2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook from frozen, adding an extra 1–2 minutes to the steaming time.
• If you prefer crispier bases, finish briefly under a hot grill for 30–60 seconds after steaming (watch closely).

Substitutions

• raw king prawns → tinned crab meat, drained and flaked (use same weight)

  Stays close

• plain flour → store-bought dumpling wrappers (one packet, ~24–30 wrappers)

  Stays close

• light soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free) same quantity

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

514

Calories

21 g

Protein

76 g

Carbs

14 g

Fat

3 g

Fibre

4 g

Sugar

1200 mg

Sodium

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