Pan Fried Lamb Dumplings

Dumplings are a truly universal food found in many versions worldwide — Italian ravioli, Indian samosas, Korean mandu, Polish piroshki and Chinese pot stickers. Fried, steamed, boiled, stuffed … the ways of cooking dumplings are endless. This food item arose independently in several cuisines. In all likelihood, they were invented to stretch a small amount of meat and other ingredients to feed more people. Preparing dumplings can be a fun family activity, get your hands on making creative shapes and sizes! Boiled ones are less likely to retain a perfect look after cooking while steaming or pan-frying would not affect the shape hence you can go for more intricate shapes. Pick a pattern to suit your cooking method — common shapes include the ‘half-moon’ shape, the pleated edges, the rose-shaped and many more. No matter what shape you are making, please make sure the dumpling is well sealed or you will end up with broken wrappers and leaking filling.

Pan-fried dumplings are a personal favourite — the steamed, glossy texture on top with the slightly-charred bottom are a perfect match. As you bite through the crispy outer layer and let its juicy inner fillings flow through your mouth, it is genuinely a warm, comforting taste. Time to make some pan-fried lamb dumplings at home! Firstly, mix chopped ingredients such as lamb, carrot, shiitake mushroom, ginger, small onion and garlic in a bowl. Add seasonings like MAGGI® Oyster Sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar and cumin, and mix until well combined. Next, place a dumpling skin on the palm of your hand and scoop a teaspoon of the lamb filling onto the center, then wrap it up — repeat until you’ve used up all the filling and skin. Later on, fry them on medium heat on a pan. Lastly, pour in some water and cover the pan to let it steam until it dries up.

Serve your lamb dumplings with some chili sauce or sambal for an extra kick of flavour. If you wish to try out more similar recipes, visit MAGGI® recipes for simple ways to make lucky dumplings, steamed golden prawn dumplings and wonton MAGGI mee.