Rice noodle dumplings

Rice noodle dumplings

　　Nanning rice noodle dumplings are a traditional snack from Nanning. The dumpling wrappers are made from polished round-grain rice, mixed with a small amount of glutinous rice. After soaking and grinding into a slurry, an appropriate amount of starch is added, and the mixture is stirred and cooked in a clean pot until about 70–80% done. It is then kneaded into a dough, rolled out into thin wrappers using a heavy stick, and filled with a seasoned mixture of water chestnuts, pork, dried shrimp, and mushrooms. The dumplings are shaped with ten pleated edges, steamed in a bamboo steamer, and served with sesame oil, wampee sauce, and a small bowl of consommé.

　　A Guangxi snack. Also known as water chestnut rice noodle dumplings or "rice noodle dumpling king." These dumplings use a rice noodle wrapper filled with a mixture of water chestnuts and pork. The wrapper is thin, white, and translucent, soft and smooth in texture, while the filling is sweet, refreshing, and crisp. The most famous version comes from the Nanning area. In 1997, the dumplings made by Nanning Southern Hotel were recognized as one of China’s Famous Snacks.

　　Ingredients:

　　800g rice, 15g salt, 200g glutinous rice, 10g monosodium glutamate (MSG), 300g pork, 25g sesame oil, 500g water chestnuts (Chinese water chestnuts), 15g pepper, 50g dried shrimp, wampee sauce to taste, 25g mushrooms, 50g starch

　　Preparation method:

　　1. Mix the rice and glutinous rice, soak in water, then grind into a rice flour slurry. Place in a cloth bag and hang to dry until about 1,500g of wet rice flour is obtained.

　　2. Mix the starch into the wet rice flour, knead into 5 rice flour dough balls, cook in a pot until 80% done, remove and drain, then knead again into dough. Flatten the dough, cut into pieces, and roll out into thin wrappers.

　　3. Chop the pork into mince, peel and finely chop the water chestnuts, then mix in dried shrimp, chopped mushrooms, salt, MSG, sesame oil, and pepper to make a water chestnut and pork filling.

　　4. Take the rice noodle wrappers and wrap the water chestnut and pork filling inside, making approximately 250 dumplings. Shape each into a dumpling form with 10 pleated edges, steam in a steamer until cooked, and they are ready.

　　5. Serve with sesame oil, wampee sauce, and a side of consommé.