Thai “Bag of Gold” Dumplings (Tung Tong)

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground pork or chicken (Use pork or chicken; chilled)
• 4 cloves Garlic (Finely minced)
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger (Finely grated or minced)
• 2 tbsp Cilantro roots or stems (Finely chopped; cilantro stems may be substituted)
• 0.5 tsp Ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp Fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Granulated sugar
• 50 Wonton wrappers (Round wrappers are easiest to gather; keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying)
• 50 Chinese chives or garlic chives (Use one chive per dumpling; blanch briefly so the chives become pliable for tying)
• 8 cup Neutral frying oil (For deep-frying; the amount absorbed will be substantially lower)
• Salt (For blanching the chives and seasoning as needed)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the chives and blanch briefly, about 10 to 15 seconds, until they are bright green and flexible.

2. 2

   Transfer the blanched chives immediately to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry. Separate them carefully so they remain intact for tying.

3. 3

   In a bowl, combine the ground pork or chicken, garlic, ginger, cilantro roots or stems, white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until the seasonings are evenly distributed and the filling becomes slightly sticky.

4. 4

   Cover the filling and refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes so it firms up and is easier to portion.

5. 5

   Set one wonton wrapper on a work surface and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of the wrapper, taking care not to overfill it.

6. 6

   Moisten the wrapper edges lightly with water. Gather the edges upward around the filling, pressing them together at the neck to form a small purse. Do not pleat the wrapper; simply gather and press the edges.

7. 7

   Tie one blanched chive around the neck of the dumpling, trimming the ends if necessary. Set the finished dumpling upright on a parchment-lined tray and cover it while forming the remaining dumplings.

8. 8

   Continue filling, gathering, and tying the wrappers until all the filling is used. Keep the completed dumplings covered so the wrappers do not dry out.

9. 9

   Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy pot and heat it to 350°F (175°C). Use enough oil to allow the dumplings to float freely, and do not fill the pot more than halfway.

10. 10

    Working in batches, carefully lower the dumplings into the hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until the wrappers are crisp and deeply golden and the meat filling is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes per batch.

11. 11

    Transfer the fried dumplings to a wire rack or a paper-towel-lined tray to drain. Return the oil to 350°F (175°C) before frying the next batch.

12. 12

    Serve the dumplings hot and crisp. Take care when eating them because the filling and oil will be very hot.

Notes

The source states that blanching the chives is essential because it makes them pliable enough to tie around the dumpling necks. The filling may be made with either ground pork or ground chicken. The published page is membership-gated, so the ingredient quantities and method here are reconstructed from the visible description and standard tung tong technique rather than extracted from the complete recipe.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• fried
• Thai
• Songkran
• dumplings
• party food
• pork
• chicken