Boilingīoiled dumplings are wonderful served on their own with chile oil/crisp or black vinegar, or as part of a dumpling noodle soup. Homemade wrappers won’t become transparent, but they will look plump and puffed.
If you are using store-bought wrappers, the skin will become slightly transparent and you’ll be able to see the colors of the filling inside. Place the steaming vessel over the boiling water, cover, and steam for about 10–15 minutes (this depends upon what you have inside-if you have raw ingredients like meat, steam for longer, whereas cooked ingredients will take less time). Fill your pan or pot with water that is about 1 inch deep and bring to a boil. If you are using parchment paper, poke a few holes in it to let the steam through. Line the steaming vessel with parchment paper or Napa cabbage leaves. The smell of dumplings steaming in bamboo is very nostalgic to me. My preferred vessel is a bamboo steamer-they are cheap to purchase and hold a good number of dumplings. Find a bamboo or other basket steamer that fits over a saucepan, pot, or wok. If you are making your own dumpling wrappers, use the hot water dough for this method, as this will give you a softer morsel. Steaming will produce silky, tender dumplings with skin that is slightly firmer than that of boiled dumplings, but still stretchy.
Importantly, when cooking frozen dumplings (store-bought or homemade), do not defrost, so always cook them from frozen. Generally, I find that store-bought frozen dumplings are better suited to steaming and steam-frying, as their skins are often quite thin-make sure to check packet instructions to check the preferred cooking methods. The following instructions are the same for fresh or frozen dumplings. Some methods of cooking hinge on certain dumpling qualities, such as iron-clad seals to prevent bursting (boiling), flat bottoms that offer surface space to crisp up (pan-fried potstickers), or thicker skins to withstand the pressures of boiling. While the cooking method depends heavily upon your mood and what you are craving, it also depends on the shape of your dumpling. There is also deep-frying or serving with a crispy lacy “skirt.” There are three basic ways: steaming, boiling, and steam-frying. Before you even start making your dumplings, first think about how you want to cook them.