Polish Dumplings – Whip It UP!

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Bring 2 litres of water to rolling boil in a deep saucepan. Add potatoes and salt.

Cook until potato yield to the fork. Drain, peel and mash potatoes while they are still warm.

2. Transfer mash to a large mixing bowl. Add potato starch, mix in egg and salt to form a dough, similar to pizza.

3. To cook dumplings: pinch off pieces of dough the size of ping pong or golf ball. Roll it between your palms. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

4. Flatten each ball between your palms. Make a dimple with your thumb or index finger. It can be deep but do not make a hole which would turn it into a doughnut!

Repeat until dough is used up.  Set aside dumplings and let them air dry until cooking time.

5. To cook dumplings: Bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil with salt. Once 20 dumplings are formed, drop them into the water. Do not overcrowd the saucepan with too many dumplings.

Cook for 2 minutes.

If any dumplings stick to the bottom of the saucepan, use a spatula to release them with a gentle nudge. Repeat until all the dumplings are cooked.

6. Taste one dumpling to check if it is done. It should be firm but tender with a slight bounce. Texture is just slightly firmer than a marshmallow. If it is too dry, add a little water to get the desired texture. On the other hand, add more potato starch if it is too moist.

7. Using a slotted spoon or wire mesh skimmer, remove cooked dumplings. Using a colander, drain them. These potato “abacus seeds” taste good as it is.

8. To stir-fry dumplings: Heat up oil. Sauté garlic slices and dried shrimps until fragrant.

9. Next, add in tofu followed by mushroom. Lastly, add chicken and cook until meat is tender, around 3 minutes.

10. Add in dumplings and mix well. Transfer to serving plate.

Other recipes call for pork, dried cuttlefish, black fungus, dried white bait, spring onion etc but there are no hard and fast rules; just use what is available.