Dimsum is one of the typical Chinese dishes that is popular throughout the world. This food is often found in restaurants, dimsum shops, and even as breakfast or snacks at home. One of the most popular types is chicken dimsum. With a delicious taste and appetizing aroma, chicken dimsum is easy to make at home. This article will discuss in full how to make chicken dimsum, from the ingredients to the steps of making it.
Materials Required
Before you start cooking, it's a good idea to prepare all the necessary ingredients. That way, the process of making dimsum will be smoother and more enjoyable. Here are the ingredients you need to prepare:
- Chicken meat: Choose boneless chicken breast or thighs, around 300 grams.
- Dumpling skin: You can buy ready-made dumpling skins at Asian grocery stores or make your own.
- garlic: 3 cloves, finely chopped.
- Onion: 1 small fruit, finely chopped.
- Salty soy sauce: 2 tablespoons.
- Sesame oil: 1 tablespoon.
- Salt and pepper: Adequately.
- Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon (optional, to provide texture).
- Onions: 2 stems, finely chopped.
- Ginger: 1 teaspoon, grated (optional).
After preparing all the ingredients, we are ready to start the process of making chicken dimsum.
Dimsum Dough Preparation
The first step to take is to prepare the dough for the dimsum filling. This process is quite easy and does not take long. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Processing the Chicken Meat
Cut the chicken into small pieces and place them in a food processor. Puree the chicken until it becomes a smooth paste. If you don't have a food processor, you can mince it manually with a knife until it has the desired texture.
Step 2: Mixing the Seasonings
After the chicken is smooth, add garlic, onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, cornstarch, spring onions, and ginger into the same container. Stir all ingredients until well blended. Make sure the spices are well absorbed into the chicken.
Step 3: Chilling the Dough
Once the mixture is well mixed, wrap the container with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will help the spices to soak in and give your chicken dimsum a more delicious taste.
Wrapping Dimsum
After the dough processing is complete, the next step is to wrap the dimsum using dumpling skin. This method requires a little skill, but with practice, you will become more proficient. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Preparing the Dimsum Skin
Take the dumpling wrappers one by one and place them on a clean, flat surface. If you are using frozen wrappers, be sure to let them come to room temperature for a few minutes to prevent them from sticking.
Step 2: Filling the Dimsum Skin
Take a tablespoon of filling and place it in the center of the dumpling skin. Don't take too much so it's easy to wrap.
Step 3: Wrapping the Dimsum
Lightly dampen the edges of the dumpling skin with water to help it stick together. Fold the dumpling skin into a semicircle, pressing the edges to seal them completely. You can also fold the edges of the dumpling skin to create a more interesting shape, such as a shell. Repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
Steaming Dimsum
Once the dim sum is neatly wrapped, the next step is to steam it. Steaming is the best method to ensure the dim sum remains moist and soft. Here's how to do it:
Step 1: Preparing the Steamer
Heat water in a steamer or steamer. Make sure the water is boiling before putting the dimsum in it. You can also add banana leaves or a layer of clean cloth on the steamer rack to prevent the dimsum from sticking.
Step 2: Steam the Dimsum
Place the wrapped dimsum on the steamer rack, leaving space between the dimsum so they don't stick together. Steam for 15-20 minutes or until the dimsum is perfectly cooked. The characteristic of cooked dimsum is that the skin is made transparent and the dough inside can be seen.
Serving Chicken Dimsum
Once the dim sum is cooked, you can serve it with a variety of sauces. Common sauces include chili sauce, chili soy sauce, or oyster sauce. Here's how to serve dim sum:
Step 1: Assembling the Dimsum
Remove the dimsum from the steamer and place it on a serving plate. You can garnish it with sliced spring onions or bell peppers for a more attractive appearance.
Step 2: Prepare the Sauce
Prepare several choices of sauces to dip the dim sum in. These sauces will add a delicious flavor to your chicken dim sum.
With the steps above, you have now successfully made delicious and attractive chicken dimsum. Enjoy your work with your family or friends.
Tips and Tricks in Making Chicken Dimsum
To make your chicken dimsum even more perfect, here are some tips and tricks you can apply:
- Choose fresh chicken meat: Fresh chicken meat will give a better taste than frozen chicken.
- Combination of spices: Feel free to experiment with additional seasonings, such as chopped mushrooms, vegetables, or other herbs for flavor variations.
- Pay attention to steaming time: Do not steam for too long, because it will make the dimsum dry. On the other hand, if it is too fast, the dimsum will not be cooked properly.
- Serve warm: Dimsum is best served warm. If not served immediately, you can store it in a thermos to keep it warm.
By applying these tips, you will be more confident in making delicious and appetizing chicken dimsum.
Exploring Other Dimsum Variants
In addition to chicken dimsum, there are many dimsum variants that are also worth trying. Here are some of them:
- Shrimp Dimsum: Using shrimp as the main ingredient, gives a fresh sea sensation.
- Siu Mai: Dimsum made from pork or a mixture of meat and shrimp, usually has a distinctive shape.
- Fight: Shrimp dimsum with thin and transparent skin.
Trying different dimsum variants will give you a richer culinary experience. You can also experiment with new recipes to find the flavor that suits your taste.
With complete information on how to make chicken dimsum, you are now ready to cook at home. Good luck and enjoy the deliciousness of the chicken dimsum you made!
