Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Korean Dumplings

January 11, 2012

The Korean Lunar New Year begins on January 23rd and is celebrated for three days. During this time families gather to pay respect to ancestors and enjoy traditional food and games. In addition, children honor their elders by wishing them a prosperous and healthy New Year with a deep bow. In return, children are usually rewarded with gifts. Korean dumplings or mandu is one of the typical foods served during this holiday. The dumplings are filled with a mixture of ground beef, mushrooms, tofu, and bean sprouts. Serve these wonderful mandu dumplings with a vinegar soy dipping sauce.

Mandu

Ingredients:

Dumplings:
2 cups of ground beef

2 cups of chopped bean sprout

5 mushroom buttons

1/2 onion

1/2 package of tofu

3 cloves of minced garlic

30 pieces wanton skins/ mandu skins

pepper

Vinegar-Soy Sauce (Ch'o kanjang) for dipping:

8 tablespoons soy sauce

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons green onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

Place 2 cups of ground beef into a big bowl.

Add 1 ts of salt, 1 tbs of sesame oil, ½ ts of ground pepper and mix it by hand and push the mixture of meat on the side of the bowl.

Wash bean sprouts, dry well with paper towel or cotton cloth and then chop them to make 2 cups. Add 1 tbs of oil and mix it up. Place it in the big bowl next to the ground meat.

Tip: oil will coat vegetables so that liquid would not come out from it

Chop 4-5 mushrooms and half an onion and put it into a small bowl.

Add 1 ts of soy sauce, and 2 ts of sesame oil the small bowl in the last step. Mix it by hand and then transfer it to the big bowl.

Squeeze half a package of tofu using cotton cloth or paper towel and put it into a small bowl. Then add a pinch of salt, 1 ts of sesame oil and mix it and put it next to chopped chives.

In the big bowl, add 3 cloves of minced garlic and mix all ingredients by hand.

Place one mandu skin on your left hand and put some filling mixture on the center of the skin.

On the half of the edge of the skin, put a little cold water with your fingertips.

Fold skin in half over filling and press edges together to make ripple shape.

Place some vegetable oil on heated pan and add mandu.

Lower the heat over low medium and cover the lid of the pan to cook.

A few minutes later, open the lid and turn over each mandu.

When the mandu is golden brown, transfer it to a plate.

Serve hot with dipping sauce

For vinegar-soy sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir to dissolve