Siu mai is the Cantonese pronunciation. Cantonese-style siu mai are the version that most people are familiar with. They’re round and the filling is wrapped in circular dumpling skins. The filling consists of pork and shrimp. Other additional ingredients may include ginger, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, wood ear, and water chestnuts. Shao mai is the Mandarin pronunciation of the pork dumplings. Not only are they pronounced differently, Northern-style shao mai look different as well. Northern-style shao mai are often filled with sticky rice and mince meat and they are shaped like a vase (they have a narrow neck and a wider base). The word “shumai” probably derives from the Japanese version of steamed pork dumplings. Japanese shumai look very similar to Cantonese siu mai. Because the Cantonese pork dumplings are most commonly spelled as “shumai” in English, that is how I’ll refer to them for the rest of the post.
HOW TO MAKE SHUMAI
Of all the dumplings in Chinese cuisine, shumai are one of the easier ones to make. All you need to do is prep the filling, stuff it into dumpling wrappers and steam.
NOTE ABOUT SHUMAI WRAPPERS
You want to use thin, round dumpling wrappers for the shumai. The New Hong Kong Noodle Company makes wrappers specifically for shumai (labeled “Su My Wraps”) It is fine if you cannot find that particular brand. Any thin and round wrapper will work. I prefer shumai wrappers to be about 3 1/4 inches in diameter. If your wrappers are larger than that, you can use a circular cookie cutter to cut out a smaller circle. In my photos, you’ll see that I used yellow dumpling wrappers, which are made by Twin Marquis. I think they provide a better color contrast, but they are not necessary.
SHAPING THE DUMPLINGS
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on the center of a dumpling skin. I usually use a butter knife to scoop the filling onto a wrapper, but you can also use a spoon. Once the filling is on the wrapper, position the dumpling over the crook of your left hand. Use you left hand to shape the dumpling as you pack in the filling with the butter knife. I usually position my ring finger underneath the dumpling to help form the base. When the dumplings are all filled, top the center of the dumplings with finely diced carrots. Shumai served in restaurants are typically topped with tobiko (roe). I don’t usually have tobiko at home, which is why I used carrots instead. You can also top each dumpling with a single pea. Peas tend to wrinkle once they’re steamed, which is why I don’t use them.
HOW TO FREEZE SHUMAI
Line a plate or sheet pan with parchment paper. Place your filled dumplings over the parchment paper and freeze until they harden. This will take a few hours. Make sure the dumplings do not touch each other. Otherwise, they will get stuck together when they’re frozen. Once frozen, transfer the shumai to a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. When you are ready to steam the shumai, place the frozen shumai into your steamer basket. There is no need to defrost them beforehand. If you like your shumai to look compact and round, freeze the dumplings overnight before you steam them. The shumai tends to hold its shape better this way.
STEAMING SHUMAI IN BAMBOO BASKETS
I prefer steaming the shumai in bamboo steamer baskets lined with parchment paper. However, it is not necessary to use bamboo steamers. You can position a metal steaming rack in the middle of your wok filled with several cups of water. Then, place the dumplings in a stainless steel round plate like this one. Position the plate over the steaming rack. Any plate that can withstand hot steam will work as well.
MORE DUMPLING RECIPES
Tofu Wontons with Yellow Curry Broth (a reader favorite!)Red Curry Tofu Dumplings (step-by-step photos of the braided pleat)Chicken PotstickersCurried Potato Fried DumplingsYou can also visit my complete dumpling archives here.
