- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 250 g
- 150 g
- 60 g
- 10 g
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tbsp
- ½ tsp
- ½ tsp
- ¼ tsp
- 500 ml
Process
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Put the ground chicken, chopped shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt and white pepper in a bowl. Mix with a fork or your hand for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture looks sticky and holds together. Cover and chill for 15 minutes while you set up the steamer.
Line a bamboo or metal steamer basket with parchment paper or lightly oiled cabbage leaves. Pour 500 ml water into a wide pot or wok, set the steamer on top and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp cloth so they do not dry out.
Place one wonton wrapper flat on your palm. Put about 1 heaped teaspoon (roughly 15 g) of filling in the centre. Gather the edges up around the filling with your fingers, leaving the top open, and press the sides gently so the wrapper pleats and hugs the meat. The dumpling should look like a small cup, not a sealed purse.
Press the base flat on the work surface so the shumai stands upright. Top the open centre with one green pea. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, arranging the dumplings in the steamer with 2 cm between them so they do not touch.
Steam over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling is firm to the touch and the wrapper is translucent. If your steamer is crowded, steam in two batches rather than stacking. Serve immediately with soy sauce or chilli oil for dipping.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is overfilling: a heaped tablespoon of filling makes a dumpling that splits and steams unevenly. One level teaspoon per wrapper is right.
- Keep the filling cold until wrapping. Warm filling softens the wrappers and makes them tear as you pleat.
- Do not seal the tops. Shumai are meant to stay open so steam cooks the filling from above as well as below.
- Test one dumpling first: steam it for 8 minutes, taste it, and adjust the salt or soy sauce in the remaining filling before wrapping the rest.
Substitutions
- ground chicken→ground turkey or ground beef
- shrimp→finely chopped firm white fish or extra ground chicken
- shiitake mushrooms→button mushrooms or rehydrated dried shiitake
- wonton wrappers→gyoza wrappers, cut into rounds
- green peas→a small piece of carrot or a whole goji berry
Storage & reheating
Cool leftover shumai completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, steam them again for 4 to 5 minutes, or cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 60 to 90 seconds. Uncooked assembled shumai freeze well: place them on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Steam frozen shumai directly from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the cooking time.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my shumai fall apart in the steamer?
The filling was probably too wet or the wrappers were overfilled. Squeeze excess moisture from the chopped shrimp and mushrooms, and use only one level teaspoon of filling per wrapper. Press the base of each dumpling flat so it stands up and does not tip over during steaming.
Can I make shumai ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble them up to 24 hours in advance, place in a single layer on a tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Steam straight from the fridge, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cooking time. For longer storage, freeze them uncooked for up to 2 months.
How do I know when shumai are fully cooked?
The wrapper turns translucent and slightly shiny, and the filling feels firm when pressed with a fingertip. Chicken shumai need 8 to 10 minutes of steady steaming. If you are unsure, cut one open: the meat should be opaque all the way through with no pink.
Can I use dried shiitake mushrooms instead of fresh?
Yes. Soak 20 g of dried shiitake in hot water for 20 minutes, squeeze them dry and chop finely. Dried mushrooms have a stronger flavour, so use a little less than the fresh amount. Save the soaking liquid for soups or sauces.
My shumai taste bland. What went wrong?
The filling needs enough salt and aromatics before steaming, since nothing else seasons it. Mix the filling and cook a small spoonful in the microwave for 20 seconds to taste it, then adjust the salt, soy sauce or ginger. A dipping sauce of soy sauce with a splash of rice vinegar also lifts the flavour.
Can I steam shumai without a bamboo steamer?
Yes. Use any metal steamer insert or a colander set over a pot of boiling water, as long as it fits with a lid on top. Line it with parchment paper punched with a few holes so steam circulates. Make sure the water does not touch the dumplings.
Why are my wonton wrappers dry and cracking?
They dry out within minutes when exposed to air. Keep the stack under a damp, clean kitchen towel while you work, and take one wrapper at a time. If they have already dried, a brief 10-second dip in warm water makes them pliable again.
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