What to cook for Chinese New Year: jiaozi or Chinese dumplings

From the beginning of February until the middle of the month, China celebrates its own New Year. This is an important holiday for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire: its history dates back to ancient times, when there was no modern chronology. According to the Chinese calendar, we are entering not at all into 2022, but into the year 4720. The patron of the year will be one of the 12 totem animals, Black (Blue, Cyan) Water Tiger.

The Chinese are very respectful of the traditions of their ancestors, and therefore the New Year's Eve in this country is held according to strict rules. Firstly, the date of the holiday is timed not to a number, but to an event: the countdown of the chronology begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Therefore, in different years, New Year's Eve comes at different times. This year the date falls on February 1st. Secondly, the New Year in China should last not one, but as many as 14 days. Therefore, the dates from February 1 to February 16 are officially declared days off here. For workaholics like the Chinese, this is the only time of the year when you can travel around the country, visiting all your relatives and friends.

What do they cook in China for the new year?

During the New Year holidays in China, it is customary to prepare traditional dishes. All of them are very symbolic and have a karmic meaning. Each dish means a certain area in life, and eating a piece of it means ensuring prosperity and success in this area. For example, a whole baked chicken is a symbol of family unity. The Chinese cook whole fish as a sign of abundance and prosperity. Sticky rice cake "nian gao" will help to achieve higher results in the new year, and noodles mean longevity (because they are never broken into pieces, cooked exclusively whole).

Traditional New Year's dishes in China often differ depending on the region of this huge country. For example, “nian gao” will be sweet somewhere, and salty somewhere. Noodles can be served alone or as part of a dumpling soup. But there is a dish that the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire always cook in the same way - this jiaozi, one of the varieties of Chinese dumplings.

On the New Year's table, jiaozi symbolize wealth and prosperity. Therefore, dumplings should look like silver and gold bars, which were used instead of money in ancient times. So no "bags": the shape of the jiaozi should be oblong, like a crescent. According to tradition, a coin is always hidden in one of the dumplings - the one who gets it will become a real darling of fate in the new year and will not need money.

Jiaozi Chinese dumplings: a step by step recipe

Jiaozi is made in China using plain unleavened dough made from wheat flour and water. But the filling can be the most diverse. Someone prepares dumplings with minced meat, someone - with mushrooms and eggs, there are dumplings with fish filling and seafood filling. We suggest you cook jiaozi stuffed with minced chicken and Chinese cabbage. Such dumplings turn out to be quite satisfying and at the same time light, they are perfectly stored in the freezer (so you can cook several servings at once and freeze a part in reserve)

Dough Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 2 cups (250 ml)
• Water - 180 ml for the dough

Filling Ingredients:

• Minced chicken - 400 g
• Chinese cabbage - 600 g
• Green onion - 3 pcs. feathers
• Fresh ginger, grated - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp.
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. (for frying)

sauce ingredients

• Soy sauce - 80 ml
• Fresh ginger, grated - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil - 5 drop(s) optional, for dressing
• Balsamic vinegar - 2 tbsp.
• Green onion - 1 feather

Cooking method:

Dough. Sift wheat flour into a deep container, add water there and mix quickly.

Once the dough starts to form into a ball, transfer it to a floured work surface and knead well with your hands. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until elastic. The main indicator of readiness is that it should be smooth, without lumps and not stick to your hands. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and set aside for 40-60 minutes.

Filling. Finely chop the Chinese cabbage, transfer to a deep container and season with salt. Leave for 15 minutes. Cabbage will release water - it will need to be squeezed out so that the dumplings do not turn out wet.

Chop the green onion, grate the ginger. Add onion, ginger and minced chicken to cabbage, drop sesame oil and soy sauce into the filling, mix thoroughly.

Modeling. Divide the dough into two parts. Roll half into a "sausage" 20-25 cm long and evenly wide.

This sausage needs to be divided into 12 parts. Each piece must be rolled into a circle and covered with cling film so that the dough does not dry out. Put the filling in the center of the circle and pinch the dough at the top, “wrapping” the filling on both sides. It turns out a product that looks like a dumpling - only it does not lie on its side, but stands on a flat base.

Frying. Blinded dumplings can be steamed or boiled, but we suggest frying them in a pan.

To do this, put it on a strong fire and heat it with two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Put the dumplings there and wait until they are fried from below (5-10 minutes). Then add half a glass of water to the pan and cover with a lid. With the lid closed, you need to cook dumplings for about 5-7 minutes. Once the water has completely evaporated, the dumplings should be ready.

Sauce. Jiaozi can be served with our usual sour cream, but this dish will be especially tasty in combination with soy-ginger sauce. It is easy to prepare: for this you need to mix soy sauce, grated ginger, finely chopped green onions, balsamic vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil in one container.

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