Japanese Gyoza 日式饺子

If you are wondering what are the differences between Chinese potstickers (窝贴) and Japanese Gyoza, well, literally they are very similar to each other. 

Chinese called them "jiaozi" or in English as "dumplings". They can be eaten either steam, boil, pan fried or deep fried. As for the Japanese gyoza, are usually pan fried, seldom steam or boil and served with vinegar based soy sauce and hot chili oil (la yu).

Japanese Gyoza tend to have a thinner and smaller skin (wrapper) whereas Chinese potstickers may come with thin, thick, chewy or some even use raised dough. 

Gyoza are usually small to medium in size but the Chinese potstickers come with different sizes. The basic fillings for Gyoza are usually minced pork, Chinese cabbage, spring onion, fresh minced garlic and grated ginger. The Chinese potstickers usually use many different ingredients.

Recipe adapted and with minor changes from Just One Cook Book

Ingredient:

• 2 Packets of 200g Japanese Gyoza wrapper (selling in most supermarkets)

• 1Tbsp oil for frying each batch of Gyoza
• 1/4 Cup water for frying each batch of Gyoza

Filling:

• 500g minced meat, preferably with some fat
• 250g cabbage, chopped finely
• 20g spring onion or green shallot, chopped finely
• 4 shiitake mushroom, chopped finely
• 2 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger

Seasonings

• 1 Tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper, to taste

Dipping Sauce

• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp La Yu (Japanese chili oil) (optional)

Method:

• Microwave the cabbage leaves for 1 minute (to soften) and chop into very small pieces.

• Chop the shiitake mushrooms and spring onions until very fine

• Minces the garlic and grated the ginger.

• Mix the mince meat, minced garlic, ginger and the seasoning in a big bowl and with your hand, mix or knead the mixture until the texture become sticky.

• Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to knead until combined.

• Wrap the fillings with Gyoza wrappers (pls. refer to my post How To Wrap Gyoza/Chinese Potsticker)

• In a medium non-stick frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat.

• When the pan is hot, place Gyoza in a two rows, touching each other.

• Fry Gyoza until bottom turned golden brown.

• Add in water and immediately cover with the lid, steam the Gyoza until most of water evaporates.

• Remove the Gyoza to a serving plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

Note: After you have wrapped the Gyoza, cook or freeze them right away as the water from the filling will wet the wrappers. If you are freezing the Gyoza, put them in a baking tray, leaving some space between them from sticking, Transfer the frozen Gyoza into a freezer bag or container. They can be freeze for a month. When they are ready to cook, do not need to defrost.

HAPPY BAKING AND COOKING!