Pelmeni Japanese (gedze): recipe

Recently, Oriental cuisine has become very popular all over the world. In particular, we are talking about Japanese and Chinese dishes. Probably everyone knows and many like sushi, rolls, miso soup. And what do you know about dumplings in Japanese? Have you met them in the menu of the oriental restaurant? If you've ever tried Japanese dumplings, you probably thought about how to cook them at home. And certainly there and then this thought was swept aside, believing that this is only by a professional. In this article we will tell you the secret of their preparation, and you will understand how simple and tasty it is.

Short educational program

So, for a start, let's go deep into history. It was always believed that dumplings - a native Russian dish. With all due respect to the Slavic cuisine, it is worth noting that dumplings came from China. In the Middle Kingdom, this dish is given special attention. First of all, the very name of "pelmeni" from Chinese is consonant with the wishes of success and prosperity. Most often they are cooked on New Year's Eve. There is a Chinese belief that says: when eating a pelmen, you need to make a wish, and it will come true.

Thanks to the Chinese, dumplings began to be made in Japan. Do you know what the Japanese dumplings are called? They are called "gyoze". This name means the same thing as "chiaozi" in Chinese, that is dumplings. But the cooking technique and the recipe are slightly different. Chinese Jiaozi is steamed, brewed with soup, and the Japanese gedze dumplings are only fried in oil. In addition, the filling of these products can be varied: meat, fish, vegetables and even fruits. But first things first. First, let's talk about the classic recipe of Japanese "envelopes".

A classic recipe for Japanese dumplings. Cooking dough

Despite the exotic nature of this dish, it can not be cooked. Even inexperienced culinary specialists will be able to pamper their relatives with an unusual oriental dinner.

Before you start cooking, you need to know how to properly prepare the dough for Japanese dumplings. There is nothing complicated in this, but if you still have doubts that you can cook it yourself, we offer to buy ready-made. Fortunately today in every supermarket you can find anything you like.

For the test, you only need three ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 500 g.
• Drinking water is a glass (250 ml).
• Salt - a teaspoon.

To prepare the dough, it is necessary to dissolve the salt in warm water. Then add the flour into the flour and knead the dough. It should not stick to your hands. After the dough is ready, cover it with food film and let it brew for about half an hour. It is better to send it to the refrigerator.

Classic filling for gjedze

While the dough is "suitable", you can prepare the filling. Classic Japanese dumplings are prepared from pork forcemeat and Peking cabbage. So, for the filling we need:

• Pork forcemeat - 250 g.
• Peking cabbage - 3-4 leaves.
• Green onions are a bunch.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 2 cloves.
• Ginger crushed - half a teaspoon.
• Sesame oil - art. L.
• Soy sauce - 0.5 tbsp. L.
• Starch (potato or corn) - 1 tbsp. L.
• Drinking water - 1 tbsp. L.
• Spices (salt, pepper, sugar) - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Chop finely chinese cabbage and onions (both kinds).
2. Mix the vegetables with minced meat, add sugar, salt and starch.
3. Grind garlic and add to the bulk. Then send grated ginger.
4. To Japanese dumplings did not turn out dry, add water, soy sauce and sesame oil to the filling.
5. The filling should be a little promarinovatsya, so leave it alone for half an hour.
6. After the necessary amount of time has elapsed, you can proceed to the creative process, namely to modeling. If you have never done ordinary ravioli, then, of course, you can have some difficulties. Therefore, just below in the text you will find information on how to properly mold a gedze.
7. Dumplings of Japanese usually do not boil, as we used to do with any vareniki, and fry. Pour sesame oil into a frying pan, lay out the gueze, pour a little water and close the lid. Dumplings must first be steamed, and as soon as all the water boils away, they need to be fried only on one side.
8. Ready gedze is served in a flat plate, spreading crispy up. Eat them with chopsticks, dipping in a sauce.
9. Bon Appetit!

In addition to pork forcemeat, it is permissible to use other fillings. For example, you can cook Japanese dumplings with shrimps. This option is considered more festive. Also prepare a gedze with vegetables, for example with pumpkin, and also with chicken, salmon and beef.

Gedze with shrimps

To not particularly bother, you can buy shrimp already boiled. They must be crushed. To do this, you can use a blender or a meat grinder. In addition to shrimp, you will need Peking cabbage, onions, garlic, soy sauce and spices. Mix all the ingredients and marinate in a mixture of sesame oil, spices and vinegar. The stuffing from shrimps is ready.

Technique of modeling Japanese dumplings

To mold a gadze is very simple, the main thing in this business, as they say, is to fill your hand. First you need to roll the dough into a thin layer. With a conventional glass, make round cakes. In each put a little stuffing. The technique of modeling gedze resembles vareniki. Protect the edges of the dough so that one part remains flat, and the other is an accordion. The dumplings of the gedze dumplings resemble a crescent moon.

By the way, there is a tradition of modeling "happy" dumplings. Those who do not know what we are talking about, we will tell. The essence of the tradition is as follows: among the bulk of all dumplings is the "happy" one. It can be like an empty gedze, and with a coin inside, or even with pepper. If you get a whole dumpling - it's fortunately, with pepper - to love and passion, and if with a coin - to money. This Chinese tradition still lives.

Tips from professionals

1. Cabbage and onion for filling can be chopped in a blender.

2. To the onions do not bitter, you can marinate it in soy sauce.

3. You do not need to put a lot of stuffing. One teaspoon is enough for one cake.

4. Shredded cabbage should be slightly salted, so that it gave a liquid. This juice needs to be wrung out.

5. Gadze dumplings are usually served with soy sauce with the addition of sesame oil and vinegar.

6. At the edges, the layer of cake should be thinner than in the center.

Conclusion

To summarize, I would like to note that any dish prepared independently, and even more dumplings, which are molded with their own hands, will always taste better. In families where this process is given great attention, the children who take part in this activity tend to learn to work more quickly in the team and also communicate.

Now you know how to cook Japanese dumplings, the recipe of which is identical to that used by the chefs in restaurants. As you can see, there is nothing complicated, therefore, even if you are a beginner, you can easily cope with this task. The main thing is to show perseverance and desire. And do not be afraid to make a mistake - everything is fixable.