Siu Mai (Shu Mai) - Authentic Dim Sum!
Siu Mai is a classic Dim Sum dumpling that is widely popular in Chinese cuisine! I have so many memories of ordering this off of the dim sum push carts when my family would go to dim sum. After many iterations, I've finally landed on a version that can stand up to any dim sum restaurant!
Servings: 30 Dumplings
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp Marinade
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Pork and Seasonings
- 1 pound ground pork 80% lean / 20% fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar 13g
- ½ tablespoon white pepper 5g
- ¼ teaspoon MSG (optional) omit if chicken bouillon includes msg
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 30ml
- ½ cup shiitake mushroom minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch 16g
- 1 package yellow hong kong style wonton wrappers
- Minced carrot optional garnish
- sriracha for serving
- Chinese hot mustard for serving
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shrimp with baking soda and salt and let marinate for 10 minutes. Mince the shrimp into pieces the size of coffee beans.
- In the same bowl, mix the ground pork with the minced shrimp and add the kosher salt, sugar, white pepper, MSG if using, chicken bouillon powder, light soy sauce, and shiitake mushrooms and cornstarch. Stir in one direction until combined and streaks appear on the bowl. Slam the mixture down 5-10 times to create a bouncy texture.
- Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp towel. Working with one wrapper at a time, use a flat wooden spoon or spatula and take about 2 tablespoons of filling and place in the center of the wonton wrapper. Using your thumb and index finger, hold the dumpling place while pressing down the filling into the base of the wrapper using the wooden spoon while squeezing with your hand to form the siu mai. Top the siu mai with a few pieces of minced carrot.
- Steam for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer and top and enjoy! I love serving this with sriracha and spicy chinese mustard, or with my homemade chili oil!
Video
Notes
Use your hands to combine the ground pork, shrimp, seasonings, and aromatics well. Stir the mixture until you see streaks on the bowl; pick up the filling and slam it down against the bowl a few times to create extra springiness. (My grandma swore by this trick for the best filling!)
Cover the wrappers with a damp cloth while working to prevent them from drying out, as they can become brittle and hard to work with when dry.
Steam Siu Mai in a bamboo or metal steamer lined with parchment paper or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking. Ensure there's some space between each Siu Mai in the steamer to prevent them from sticking together as they expand during cooking.
Wrapping (making) the Siu Mai (Shu Mai) seems a lot harder than it looks! It only takes a little bit of practice before you will get the hang of it. The best part is, even if they look a little wonky, they are going to TASTE great!
- Form your first finger and thumb into a O shape - this is the "hole" that you will stuff the filling into.
- Place the wonton wrapper on top of the O.
- Stuff the filling into the wonton wrapper - as you push down, the wrapper and the filling will get pushed into the O (similar to a muffin tin, when you place the cupcake wrapper and filling into each hole).
- Level the filling so it is flat on the top.
- Undo the O shape of your fingers and gently fold down the excess wrapper around the Siu Mai (Shu Mai). The end product should look like a short, fat cylinder shape.
- Refrigerate steamed Siu Mai for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Refrigerate unsteamed Siu Mai in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Steam for 10 minutes in a bamboo steamer to enjoy.
- Freeze unsteamed Siu Mai flat in a ziplock freezer bag (I use a baking sheet) to ensure they don't freeze together (at least 1 hour). Once frozen, the siu mai can touch each other in the freezer.
- Steam frozen Siu Mai for 15 minutes in a bamboo steamer or until the internal temperature reads 165°.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 283mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg
