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.
Ingredients:
1/2 onion
30 pieces wanton skins/ mandu skins
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.
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.
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.
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.
Serve hot with dipping sauce