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.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 1 30

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 55kcal

Author Tracy O.

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 to 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, then into pieces. Around 20-22 pieces. (This recipe can make around 25-26 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 wrapper and pressing it down. Pleat it around 8-12 folds. Repeat and finish the rest. ( You can use a pair of scissors to cut the top to give it a nicer trim. This is 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

Expert Tips for Making Perfect Har Gow

These simple techniques can make the difference between homemade shrimp dumplings and restaurant-quality har gow.

Dough Tips

Use freshly boiled water. Immediately pour the boiling water into the wheat starch mixture, stir briefly, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes. This step gelatinizes the starches and creates a smooth, pliable dough.
Add the oil in two additions. Incorporating the oil gradually helps produce a smoother, more elastic dough.
Knead until smooth. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then divide it into 20–22 equal pieces.
Keep the dough covered. Har gow dough dries out quickly. Always keep the unused dough covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel while shaping the dumplings.
Lightly oil your tools and hands. Brush a little oil on your knife or dough scraper before pressing the wrappers, and lightly oil your fingers to prevent sticking while folding.

Wrapper Tips

Roll the wrapper to about 2 mm thick. It should be thin enough to become translucent after steaming but thick enough to hold the filling without tearing. Keep the center slightly thicker than the edges for extra support.
Don't overfill the dumplings. Use about 1 teaspoon of filling per wrapper. Too much filling makes the delicate wrapper difficult to seal and more likely to tear during pleating or steaming.
Seal tightly. Traditional har gow usually has 7–13 pleats, but don't worry about counting them. A secure seal is far more important than the number of pleats.

Filling Tips

Use raw shrimp. Raw shrimp stays juicy and develops the signature bouncy texture after steaming.
Chop the shrimp two ways. Finely mince half into a paste and roughly chop the rest. This combination creates a filling that's both tender and pleasantly chunky.

Steaming Tips

Line your steamer. Use parchment paper with holes or cabbage leaves to prevent the dumplings from sticking.
Steam over medium heat. Steam freshly made har gow for 8–10 minutes, or 15 minutes if cooking from frozen. Avoid very high heat, which can cause the wrappers to crack or burst.
Know when they're done. The wrappers should turn translucent, and the shrimp should be firm, opaque, and fully cooked.

Serving & Freezing Tips

Serve immediately. Har gow is best enjoyed fresh from the steamer while the wrappers are soft and delicate. Let the dumplings cool for a minute or two before eating to avoid burning yourself.
Freeze before steaming. Arrange uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a tray until frozen, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Steam directly from frozen—there's no need to thaw them first.

Nutrition