House of Dumplings Warehou dumplings with karengo pastry.Vicky Ha is the powerhouse behind the fabulous House of Dumplings, bringing a fresh approach to this classic Asian food. Her authentic dumplings have become a firm favourite at the Wellington Night Markets. The Hong Kong-born  cook is one of the stars of a new cookbook celebrating the flavours of Cuba Street. She shares her recipe for fish dumplings with karengo seaweed here.

Photos: Fortyfive Design Studio

Makes 20 dumplings
Dairy free

INGREDIENTS

Wakame and karengo pastry:
2 tbsp each of karengo and wakame(we recommend Pacific Harvest)
¾ cup boiling water
2 cups plain flour, sifted

Fish filling:
250g blue warehou or any firm white fish, diced 1cm
1 stalk lemongrass, white parts only, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely diced
¼ knob galangal root, finely chopped
2 small knobs turmeric, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 handful of Vietnamese mint,finely chopped
1 handful of Thai basil, finely chopped
3 kaffir limes leaves, finely chopped
1 kaffir lime, zest
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp cold-pressed vegetable oil (we use the Good Oil’s rapeseed oil)
1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)

METHOD

WAKAME AND KARENGO PASTRY:

Place the flour and wakame and karengo seaweed into a bowl or onto a stainless-steel bench, make a well in the middle and pour in the hot water. Stir with a fork until the mixture is hard to move.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until smooth. Form into a ball, wrap in cling film, and set aside at room temperature for at least half an hour.

FISH FILLING: While waiting for the pastry to set, mix together all the fish filling ingredients and set aside in the fridge.

DUMPLING SKINS: Cut the dough into four parts. Flatten each portion with your palm and dust both sides with flour. To roll out the skins you can either use a pastry machine or rolling pin. The pastry should be 2–3mm thick.

Use a 10cm pastry cutter to cut out the rounds. This recipe makes 30–34 rounds (the leftover pastry can be put through the fettuccine or spaghetti setting of a pasta machine and used in noodle soup).

ASSEMBLING THE DUMPLINGS: Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dumpling skin.

Brush a bit of water onto the edge of the skin, fold the skin in half, and pinch the edges with your thumb and fingers to tightly seal the dumpling.

Finish by bringing the two corners towards each other and squeezing to join.

COOKING THE DUMPLINGS:

Steaming method: Spray the stream trays with oil and steam the dumplings for 5 minutes over boiling water. If you don’t have a Chinese bamboo basket for steaming, you can use a metal colander.

Boiling method: Place the dumplings one at a time into boiling water, scooping them out once they start to float.

Pan-frying method: Steam the dumplings first, then pan-fry in a medium-hot oiled pan until both sides of the pastry are caramelised. It should take less than 1 minute for each side.

Serve the dumplings with Shallot and Garlic Dipping Sauce (see recipe below) and a mixture of steamed and grilled seasonal greens.

RECIPE: SHALLOT AND GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp cold-pressed vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tbsp fish sauce

METHOD

Heat the oil until medium-hot, then fry the shallot and garlic until golden. Remove from the heat. Add the fish sauce, stir and serve. This recipe makes enough for a small bowl of dipping sauce.

This recipe first appeared in the Cuba Street: A Cookbook.

Cuba Street: a cookbook celebrates the flair and flavours of Cuba Street, the colourful heart of Wellington’s café scene. Take a gastronomic journey up the street and enjoy an eclectic mix of recipes, provided by over twenty of your favourite bars and eateries. This book is an absolute must for foodies, locals, and visitors to Wellington. It offers a unique insight into Wellington’s best-loved district, its heritage, hospitality, and the people who make it so special. Order online here

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