Ingredients
For dough
250 gms all-purpose flour
4 gms salt
120 gms warm water
For filling
200 gms minced chicken (store-bought)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Method
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Slowly pour the warm water into the dry ingredients while stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Keep mixing until a dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 to 15 minutes. If needed, add additional cold water by the teaspoon until the dough turns smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.
Next, divide the dough into equal pieces of around 12 to 15 grams each. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out each ball into a thin, round wrapper. The thickness should be even and almost translucent.
To make the filling, combine the ground chicken, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl.
Mix gently until everything is well incorporated. The filling should be moist but not sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
To assemble and steam the xiao long bao, take each rolled wrapper and place a spoonful of filling in the centre of it. Gather the edges of the dough to form pleats, creating a pouch that encloses the filling.
Steam the xiao long bao for 3 to 5 minutes in a steamer basket lined with parchment paper. Then serve hot.
Tip: You can add colour to your dumplings by incorporating different vegetable juices while mixing dough. In this recipe, I used carrot, pumpkin, and spinach juices to create three different colours.
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