Melbourne Dim Sim
Hearty Chinese-Australian steamed dumplings packed with seasoned pork, beef, and cabbage in thick wrappers.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Bamboo steamer basket
- •Wok or large saucepan
- •Baking paper
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Chef knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 34 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 380 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Toss the shredded cabbage with salt in a bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
- 2
Squeeze the cabbage firmly in handfuls to remove as much excess liquid as possible.
- 3
Add pork mince, beef mince, squeezed cabbage, spring onions, ginger, and garlic to a large bowl.
- 4
Pour in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, and cornflour.
- 5
Mix vigorously in one circular direction with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns sticky and bound.
- 6
Place one rounded tablespoon of meat filling into the centre of each square wrapper.
- 7
Gather wrapper corners upward around the filling, pleating sides gently to form a sturdy open-topped cup.
- 8
Line a bamboo steamer basket with baking paper and poke small holes through it with a skewer.
- 9
Arrange dim sims upright in the steamer basket, leaving 2 cm of space between each dumpling.
- 10
Set steamer over a wok of rapidly simmering water and cover tightly with the lid.
- 11
Steam over medium-high heat for 18 minutes until the wrappers turn translucent and the filling is cooked through.
Chef's tips
Squeezing the water from the cabbage is vital to prevent soggy, split dim sims. Stirring the mince mixture vigorously in one direction develops proteins, creating the authentic bouncy texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- Shaoxing cooking wine → dry sherry or water with a pinch of sugar
- beef mince → additional pork mince or lamb mince
Storage
Store cooled steamed dim sims in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze raw for 2 months.
Reheating
Re-steam refrigerated dim sims for 6 to 8 minutes or shallow fry in vegetable oil until golden and hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the cabbage squeezing step which creates watery, loose fillings
- •Crowding dumplings together in the steamer so their wrappers stick and tear
- •Using delicate thin egg wonton wrappers instead of thick square pastry wrappers
Serving suggestions
Cooked Melbourne Dim Sim?
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