Shumai is another kind of Chinese style dumpling. It’s similar to gyoza (see here for my gyoza recipe) but a different shape. These are best steamed in a bamboo steamer!

Serves 4 as an appetiser or 2 as part of a main dish
Difficulty level: A bit of a challenge but make with friends and you’ll have shumai ready in no time!

INGREDIENTS

16 square wonton wrappers (you can get these in many supermarkets, online and in Asian food stores)
300g raw king prawns
4 spring onions
Piece of ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
Salt and pepper
A few green peas for decoration
Cabbage leaves for steaming

SAUCE
Soy sauce
Tiny squeeze of lemon (optional)
Mustard (Japanese karashi mustard is best but you can use any plain mustard)

YOU WILL NEED:
A bamboo steamer.

METHOD

1. Chop up prawns very finely and then mush them with the side of the knife. Chop spring onions very finely and grate ginger. Mix prawns, spring onions, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, salt ands pepper very thoroughly in a bowl using hands.
2. Get wonton wrapper and put a teaspoon of prawn filling in middle. Make a ring shape with your thumb and fore finger to shape shumai and crimp the edges by making little folds that go in the same direction.
3. Repeat until you’ve used up all ingredients.
4. Lay out a few big leaves of cabbage in a steamer and place shumai on top. Steam shumai for about 10 mins.
5. Serve with soy sauce and a bit of mustard.