Mandu, or Korean dumplings, are filled with pork, tofu, veggies, and sweet potato glass noodles. They are perfect for everyday meals and snack and are great additions to soups. Here we shared 2 ways to fold mandu and 4 ways to cook them.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Wrapping Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Yield: 35extra large mandu
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Ingredients
For the mandu:
8ouncesgreen cabbagefinely chopped (about ¼ of a cabbage)
For the cabbage:Place the finely chopped cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of salt over it. Give the cabbage a couple of mixes and set aside. Let the cabbage salt for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until there's liquid at he bottom of the bowl. Woking with a handful of cabbage at a time, firmly squeeze to remove excess water. Add the cabbage to the mandu filling.
For the sweet potato glass noodles:In a boiling pot of water, add the noodles. Boil the noodles according to package instruction until cooked, usually about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the brand. Drain the noodles and thoroughly rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Drain well and cut the noodles into smaller pieces using kitchen shears. Add to the mandu filling.
For the tofu:Pat the tofu dry using a couple sheets of clean paper towels. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to the mandu filling.
Make the filling:In a mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, salted cabbage, noodles, tofu, chives, shiitake mushrooms, and minced ginger. Season the filling with soy sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, rice wine, and sesame oil. Mix for a few minutes, until all the ingredients are well combined and the ground pork looks a little paste-like and the filling is holding together.
Assemble the mandu:
Prepare a bowl with some water and a sheet pan or plate lined with cling wrap or parchment paper.
Place about 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of the mandu wrapper. Then, dab water all along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the dumpling either into a half-moon shape or into a classic mandu shape. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers and arrange the mandu onto the prepared sheet tray.*Please refer to the post above for step by step instructions and photo reference for both method.*
Cook the mandu:
To steam:Line a steam basket with napa cabbage leaves or a perforated parchment circle and arrange the mandu in the steam basket with about ½ inch of gap between each. With the lid on, place the steam basket over a pot of boiling water, then reduce the heat to medium to keep the water on a high simmer. Steam the mandu for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the filling is cooked. Remove and repeat with other mandu.
To boil:In a pot of boiling water, carefully add the mandu give the mandu a gentle stir. DON'T overcrowd the pot! Once the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to keep the water at a high simmer. Let the mandu cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the filling is cooked through. Strain and repeat with other mandu.
To pan-fry:In a nonstick pan over medium heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, arrange the mandu into the pan, giving them about ½ inch of space in between. Let the mandu cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until all sides are golden brown and cooked through. Keep a lid on in between each flip. Remove and wipe down the pan with some paper towel if needed. Repeat with other mandu.
To deep-fry:Heat up 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350°F. Carefully add the mandu into the oil and fry for about 5 minutes, until the outside is golden brown and the filling is cooked through. Occasionally, gently stir the mandu and when cooked, drain on paper towels. Repeat with other mandu*DO NOT overcrowd the oil or the temperature will drop drastically, resulting in soggy, greasy mandu. Also, the mandu will stick to the pot in the beginning. Just let the mandu fry for 10 to 20 seconds and they should naturally release from the pot.*
Serve:
Enjoy the mandu while they are hot. They are delicious on their own or with some dipping sauce.
For the mandu dipping sauce:
Combine all of the ingredients for the dipping sauce and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Notes
Refer to the post above for step by step photo references, mandu folding steps, tips, and FAQs!
Regular size mandu wrappers - If using regular size wrappers, place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the wrapper and fold the mandu as you would the extra large size. As for the cooking time:
steam: about 8 to 10 minutes
boiled: about 5 minutes
pan fried: about 2 minutes per side
deep fried: About 3 to 4 minutes
Shiitake mushrooms - If using dry shiitake mushrooms, first soak them in boiling hot water for about 15 to 30 minutes or in warm water for about 1 to 2 hours.