Next up in my international recipes section is this delicious Japanese dish called Gyoza! Read on to discover how to make this Japanese Gyoza recipe the right way! Venese will explain to you everything about it.
Enjoy!
The cultural background of Gyoza
Gyoza is a delicious Japanese dish that was originated from China. It has been modified throughout the years and now, there are different types of gyoza you can find around Japan, each with its own twist!
The traditional gyoza is pan-fried, with minced pork and vegetables. It is popular because it’s delicious, cheap, healthy, easy to make at home and the recipe can be adjusted to fit your taste.
Nowadays, you can find fusion gyoza. There is gyoza cooked in tomato sauce, cheese gyoza and so much more. This restaurant in Shinjuku specializes in vegetarian and vegan gyoza and they are absolutely delicious!
How to make gyoza at home– an overview
Making this Japanese food at home is a fun activity you can enjoy with your family or your partner at home. Depending on what you like, you can play around with your options and try out different ingredients that you like.
To make the gyoza wrapping, first, you mix the flour, cornstarch, salt and water. Keep in mind that making the gyoza wrapping requires a lot of strength in your arms and it can get quite tiring.
Roll your dough so it’s nice and flat. Cut out a small circle to make your wrap. Put whatever fillings you want in the middle of it and then roll it up.
To make the gyoza stuffing, you can put in your ingredients and mix them with some soy sauce and vinegar. A pro-tip is to make sure your fillings are minced/chopped finely. Gyoza wrapping is quite thin and any big piece of meat or vegetables could rip it.
If you don’t know what to use as your gyoza stuffing, start with the basic ingredients including minced pork, finely-chopped cabbage or lettuce. Add some green onion in your mix to get an extra flavour.
Once you have finished creating your gyoza, you can either dry, boil or steam them. If you have gyoza left over, you can freeze them and eat them at a later date.
Japanese Gyoza Recipe
Ingredients
For gyoza wrappings
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ tsp kosher/sea salt
- ½ cup water
- potato starch/cornstarch (for dusting)
For gyoza stuffings
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sake
- Salt, pepper
- 1 tsp oil
- 1⁄4 cup water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Filling options
- Pork
- Cabbage
- Chinese Chives
- Aromatics
- Seasonings
Instructions
Making the gyoza wrappings
- Sift the flour into a large bowl.
- Add salt to the just-boiled water and add the just-boiled water into the flour little by little, stirring with a spatula.
- Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough in half.
- Shape each half into a long log, about 1½ inches in diameter. After that, wrap each log with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, unwrap the dough. Sprinkle a little potato starch on the work surface and cut each log crosswise into about 12 pieces.
- Repeat rolling the dough to make a nice round shape. Try to roll out the dough to a thin circle.
- Sprinkle each wrapper with potato starch and stack the gyoza wrappers.
- Wrap the gyoza wrappers with plastic and freeze or refrigerate them until you’re ready to use them.
Filling & cooking the gyoza
- First of all, cut all the ingredients of your choice into very small pieces.
- Then add the seasonings.
- Mix well and knead the mixture with your hands until it becomes pale in colour and sticky.
- Take a wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Then take a small amount of filling and put it in the centre of the wrapper. Next, draw a circle with water around the outer of the wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper in half over the filling. As you fold each pleat, press the folded pleat tightly against the back part of the wrapper.
- Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the gyoza in a single layer, flat side down.
- Cook until the bottom of the gyoza turns golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1⁄4 cup of water to the pan, cover with a lid and steam the gyoza for about 3 minutes.
- Remove the lid to evaporate any remaining water and don’t forget to add 1 tsp sesame oil before serving!
Tips
- You can keep gyoza wrappers for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to a month in the freezer. Defrost in the refrigerator prior to use.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, but don’t roll out (flatten) the top and bottom edges. This is a trick to make a nice round shape!
The result!
People usually have the gyoza with soy sauce, vinegar and/or spicy sauce. You can choose whichever you like the most!
Enjoy!
About Venese
Venese is Founder and Director of FLIP Guide, a Japan guide to help you navigate the ins and outs of Japan travel, living, culture and language. Venese started out as an event organizer and marketing manager, creating unique memories for thousands of people. She strives to bring the most unforgettable experiences to you!
It’s up to you now!
Did you like the Japanese gyoza recipe? Ready to make it at home? I can’t wait to read about your experiences making the recipe! Let me know in the comments below how it turned out!
Interested in other international recipes? Take a look at all the other recipes on the blog!
