Mandu

The story

Mandu is a Korean starter with a clear sense of place. Mandu has been part of Korean food culture for centuries, with historical connections to northern regions and Central/East Asian dumpling traditions. Fillings vary widely and kimchi mandu became an especially recognisable modern style. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 24 piece round dumpling wrappers
• 250 g pork mince
• 150 g firm tofupressed dry
• 120 g kimchifinely chopped and squeezed
• 60 g garlic chivesfinely chopped
• 40 g Spring onionsfinely sliced
• 10 g Garlicfinely grated
• 20 ml soy sauce
• 10 ml toasted sesame oil
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 20 ml neutral cooking oil
• 80 ml waterfor steaming

Method

1. Crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl

   Crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl and squeeze it firmly in a clean cloth so it is dry; excess water is the most common reason mandu fillings become loose and split the wrappers.

   Tip: Cook a teaspoon of filling in a pan before shaping the whole batch so you can correct the seasoning without guessing. Avoid: Wet tofu, overfilled wrappers and trapped air cause bursting; under-seasoned filling tastes flat because the wrapper mutes flavour.

2. Combine pork, tofu, kimchi, chives, spring onion,

   Combine pork, tofu, kimchi, chives, spring onion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Mix in one direction for 1–2 minutes until the filling becomes tacky and holds together.

   Look for: the filling becomes tacky and holds together

3. Place a wrapper in your palm, add

   Place a wrapper in your palm, add about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling and moisten the rim lightly with water. Fold into a half-moon and pinch firmly, pleating one side if you like; keep finished dumplings covered so the wrappers do not dry out.

4. Heat a lidded frying pan with the

   Heat a lidded frying pan with the oil. Arrange 10–12 mandu flat-side down and fry for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden.

   Look for: the bottoms are golden

5. Pour in about 40 ml water, immediately

   Pour in about 40 ml water, immediately cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate; continue frying until the bases are crisp again.

   Look for: the bases are crisp again

6. Repeat with the remaining dumplings and serve

   Repeat with the remaining dumplings and serve hot with soy-vinegar dipping sauce or a little kimchi alongside.

   Look for: The wrappers look slightly translucent and supple, the pork is cooked through, and the fried bases are evenly golden rather than scorched.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.