Delna Prakashan is the Dubai-born Indian author of Whip It!, a cookbook that takes a no-fuss, joyful approach to cooking. This twist on a Japanese meat dumpling, which is traditionally steamed then pan-fried and wrapped with a thin dough, was born when she was doing the keto diet. “My mom tested a ‘keto-version’ of a gyoza made with cabbage leaves,” she writes. “Now, whenever I have some leftover minced meat, cabbage gyozas it is. Though you may think the steps are time-consuming, the whole preparation is done in 30 minutes. You can also prepare them ahead and store in the fridge. They can be eaten either steamed or pan fried. Remember, the dipping sauce is where the magic lies.”
Makes: 7 to 8 gyozas
Ingredients
For the gyozas
Salt
200 grams minced chicken
Freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 spring onions, finely chopped
1-inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small-sized cabbage
Olive oil
For the dipping sauce
1 teaspoon peanut butter
3 to 4 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Method
To prepare the filling and cabbage leaves
- Season a large pot of water with ½ teaspoon of salt and put it on medium heat.
- Put the minced chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Mix well and set aside.
- Choose 8 to 10 tender leaves from the cabbage. As the water comes to a boil, add the cabbage leaves. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat off. After 1 to 2 minutes, remove the leaves (keep the hot water in the pot as you’ll need it later), and set them aside.
- To prepare the gyozas, add a teaspoon of chicken filling in the centre of the cabbage leaf. Fold in the sides first and then, starting from the bottom, roll the cabbage leaf over the filling and away from you, making sure it is fully enclosed. You can secure the roll with a toothpick.
- Repeat step 4 to make the rest of the gyozas.
To cook the gyozas
- Into the same pot of hot water place a steamer insert. Turn the heat on and as the water comes back to a boil, place the gyozas on the steamer, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the chicken to steam for about 10 minutes. Remove the gyozas and set aside.
- Place a frying pan on medium heat and sprinkle some olive oil into the pan. When the oil is slightly heated, add the gyozas and toast on both sides until slightly crispy and brown.
To make the dip
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, sriracha, and soy sauce and stir until well combined.
