Har Gow
Har gow or har gau (蝦餃), also known as shrimp dumplings, is a classic dish, recognized for their delicate, translucent wrappers and juicy shrimp filling. It is a beloved Cantonese dim sum item.
Servings 25
Calories 55kcal
Equipment
- Pastry cutter/ Knife
- Pot/ Wok
- bamboo steamer
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 cup Wheat starch
- ⅔ cup Tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 and ⅓ cup Hot boiling water
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil (Add ½ tablespoon at a time, seperate 2 times)
Filling:
- 1 pound No-shell raw shrimp (Chop half into paste like and half into pieces)
- ½ cup Bamboo shoots (2 oz)
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon White pepper
Extra:
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil (For brushing the pastry cutter and dip on fingers when wrapping har gow)
Instructions
- Put 1 cup of wheat starch, ⅔ cup of tapioca starch, and ½ teaspoon of salt into the bowl and mix them well.
- Pour 1 ⅓ cups of water into the pot and turn on medium-high fire until the water is boiling.
- Immediately pour the hot boiling water from step 2 into the starch mixture from step 1. This step is crucial. After that, stir it a little bit.
- Cover the mixture with a plate for 15 minutes or until the mixture is not too hot to knead.
- While waiting for the dough mixture, chop ½ pound of no-shell raw shrimp into a paste-like.
- Then, roughly chop another ½ pound of no-shell raw shrimp into pieces.
- Mince ½ cup (2 oz) of bamboo shoots.
- Put the chopped shrimp and minced bamboo shoots into a bowl. After that, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of white pepper, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Mix the shrimp filling well.
- When the dough mixture is not too hot to work with, knead the dough and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Separate it 2 times to add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil at a time. Knead the dough until it comes together and is no longer sticky (about 5 minutes). Wear gloves if you prefer not to handle the dough with your bare hands and prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough into a long shape.
- Brush some oil on the pastry cutter front and back. Then, cut the dough in half and cut it into pieces. Around 20-22 pieces. (This recipe can make around 25-26 of har gau, shrimp dumplings.)
- Take a piece of dough and press it with the pastry cutter to flatten the dough.
- Next, use a circle cutter (3.5 inches in diameter) to cut out the flattened dough. (You can skip this step if you don't mind the shape being uneven.)
- Scoop around 1 teaspoon of shrimp filling from step 8 in the middle of the flattened dough wrapper. You can dip some oil on your fingers when wrapping the har gau; this way can prevent sticking.
- Fold the har gow by pushing the front and pressing it down. Pleat it around 8-12 folds. Repeat and finish the rest of them. (You can use a pair of scissors to cut the top to give it a nicer trim. This is an optional.)
- Place some har gow or har gaw into the bamboo basket with a paper liner.
- Or, lay the rest of the wrapped har gow on the tray with parchment paper. Then, freeze them for later use.
- Pour 6 cups of water into the wok and turn on high fire until the water is boiling. Put the bamboo steamer with the wrapped har gau from step 16 into the wok. Turn the fire to small-medium and steam it for 8 minutes.
Video
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make har gau:
Dough:
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- Mix wheat, tapioca starch, and salt thoroughly in a container.
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- Pour hot boiling water into the starch mixture immediately, mix it slightly, and cover the mixture with a plate for 15 minutes. Let it wait until it is not too hot to knead the dough.
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- Separate 2 times to add oil into the dough.
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- Knead the dough until smooth (about 5 minutes).
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- Divide the dough into approximately 20- 22 pieces.
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- Keep the dough covered at all times, as it dries out quickly. Always keep it under a damp towel or plastic wrap while working.
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- Remember to brush some oil on the knife or pastry cutter before pressing the dough.
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- Additionally, apply a small amount of oil to your hands and fingers to facilitate folding and prevent sticking while working with the dough or wrappers.
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- Press the wrappers thin, but not too thin. Aim for a thickness of about 2 mm—thin enough to be slightly translucent, but thick enough to hold the filling. The middle is thicker.
Filling:
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- Use raw shrimp, without shells, and chop some finely, like a paste. Keep some roughly chopped for a mix of bite and bounce texture.
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- Don’t overfill the dumpling. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling per wrapper, as too much filling can cause the delicate wrapper to tear when folding or steaming.
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- Fold carefully and seal tightly. You can try for 7–13 pleats, but focus on a tight, even seal.
Steaming:
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- Use parchment in your steamer or a layer of vegetable leaves. This prevents shrimp dumplings from sticking and keeps the dumplings intact.
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- Steam over a small to medium fire to prevent cracks and wrapper bursts. Steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes for freshly made har gau or 15 minutes if it is frozen.
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- The wrapper should become translucent, and the shrimp should be firm and pink when it is ready.
Serving/ Storing:
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- Har gau tastes best when fresh and hot from the steamer. The wrapper can become sticky or chewy if left to sit for a long time. However, be careful not to eat it immediately; wait a little bit to prevent burns.
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- Freeze uncooked dumplings for later. Lay them flat on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a bag. When you are ready to eat, steam from frozen—no need to thaw them.
Nutrition
Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg
