Ingredients for the filling                                                     

  • 1 bunch spinach leaves
  • ½ cup carrots, julienned then minced
  • 2 green onions, minced
  • 1 TBSP ginger, minced
  • 1 TBSP garlic, minced
  • ½ lb cleaned shrimp, minced (3/4 lb. with shells)
  • 1 TBSP soy sauce
  • 1 tsp chili sauce
  • wonton wrappers, cut into circles
  • cooking oil

 The Sauce

  • 1 TBSP fresh basil, minced
  • 1 TBSP fresh mint, minced
  • 1 TBSP green onions, minced
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 TBSP Sake
  • 1 TBSP oyster sauce (buy the best)
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp sugar

 Directions

  1. Clean the spinach leaves by washing them several times. Sort out the good leaves and pinch off most of the stems. Now bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the spinach leaves. When the spinach leaves Start to wilt, which happens very quickly, drain the colander and rinse immediately with cold water. Use your hands to gent.ly squeeze out as much of the water as you can. Pat dry with a paper towel and mince with a knife.
  2. Combine all the vegetables and mix well. Add the shrimp, soy sauce, and chili sauce and mix again with 1 tsp. sake and a pinch of salt. Place the mixture in the fridge and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Now let’s roll the dumplings. Place about one (1) TBSP of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the edges and begin to pleat the wrapper in very small pleats until the circle is compete. Hint: The smaller the pleats the better. Squeeze the dumpling to give it a little waist. Now flatten the top and the bottom “Just like the Shu Mai”
  4. To cook the dumplings bring a non-stick skillet to a medium high heat. Add 2 TBSP of oil and spread evenly. Immediately add the dumplings, bottoms down, and fry until the bottoms are nice golden brown in color, about 3 minutes.
  5. Now add the sauce and cover immediately. Cook for about two (2) minutes or until the dumplings are firm to the touch. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid is almost gone. As you are doing this shake the pan so that the dumplings fall over and are glazed on all sides.
  6. Remove from skillet and place on heated serving dish … serve at once

 

Helpful Hints

Variation: Instead of this sauce make an orange-garlic sauce using ½ cup orange juice, 1 TBSP oyster sauce, 1 tsp chili sauce, 1 tsp minced orange peel, and two (2) minced garlic cloves.