Dumplings

An aromatic blend of ground coriander, ginger, and lemongrass pairs with umami-rich fish sauce to season these delicate pork dumplings. "The first thing I think about when I dream of my visits to Indonesia are kaki lima, the multicolored carts selling noodles, snacks, and very often bakso (Indonesian meatballs)," says chef Tom Pisha-Duffly of Gado Gado in Portland, Oregon, one of Food & Wine's Best New Restaurants in 2020. "The loud signs painted on the glass of the cart barely obscure the piles of bouncy meatballs and delicately piled bunches of noodles waiting to be drowned in steaming, aromatic soup. This dish incorporates that feeling in a smaller package, using a wonton skin to mimic the noodle but still paying homage to the springy, funky meatball and its slippery, rich broth."

Make-ahead mushroom duxelles makes a rich filling for these tender, satisfying dumplings. The broth, infused with toasted ginger and garlic, gets an extra layer of rich mushroom flavor from dried white flower shiitake mushrooms, which have a bolder flavor than regular dried shiitakes, which are a fine substitute.

Plump and tender dumplings symbolize longevity and wealth. As part of her Lunar New Year spread, Lucky Chow producer Danielle Chang fills hers with a fragrant and flavorful blend of garlic, ginger, scallions, and Chinese chives bound with tender ground pork. Store-bought wonton wrappers may be substituted for freshly made dough. Gently steaming the dumplings in bamboo baskets lined with cabbage leaves helps them keep their pleated shape without tearing and renders the filling juicy and the wrappers supple. For an extra dash of color and heat, drizzle them with with hot chile oil and sprinkle them with with pungent Chinese chives before serving them with dipping sauce.

"Pot stickers, known as jiaozi in China, are a kind of meat or vegetable-filled dumpling commonly eaten across Asia,” says cookbook author Kei Lum Chan. "While the dumplings can be boiled, steamed or fried, the popular method is to fry the dumplings in a little oil, add a bit of water, and then cover to steam and cook the filling. Once the water has evaporated, the dumplings are pan fried on one side for a crispy outside texture."This recipe originally appeared in CHINA: THE COOKBOOK by Kei Lum and Diora Fong Chan.

Wontons—Chinese dumplings—might not be the easiest to make, but the final result is well worth the effort. Here, our favorite wonton recipes from lamb wontons with salmon roe and dill to butternut-squash-and-sage wontons.

Make restaurant-worthy wontons at home.