Chinese Steamed Shumai
Shumai are Chinese dumplings that are open at the top, made with thin wonton wrappers and a chicken or prawn filling with shiitake mushrooms and ginger. The filling is beaten in one direction until it turns sticky and firm — the step that gives it its distinctive springy texture.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 52 min
- Calories
- 190
Photo: Missvain — CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Shumai are one of the best-known dim sum dishes in China, and their open shape isn’t random — it lets the steam reach the filling from above, so it cooks evenly with the wrapper.
Method
-
1
Soaking the mushrooms
Soak the dried shiitake in warm water for 30 minutes, then squeeze them out and chop them finely. Keep the soaking water and add two spoonfuls of it to the filling — it is a very strong umami concentrate, and it costs nothing.
-
2
Beating the filling
Mix the minced chicken with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, cornflour and egg white. Beat the mixture in one direction for 3–4 minutes until it is sticky and clings to the spoon. Beating in one direction lines up the meat proteins, so the filling turns firm and springy.
-
3
Adding texture
Add the chopped prawns, mushrooms and spring onions and fold them in gently — no more beating. Prawns cut into pieces rather than minced give a distinctive bite. Cover the filling and chill it for 30 minutes so it firms up.
-
4
Shaping the shumai
Put a wrapper in the palm of your hand and add a tablespoon of filling to the middle. Cup your hand so the wrapper rises up the sides, and push the filling down with the back of a spoon while pressing on the sides. Leave the top open — don’t close it.
-
5
Flattening and garnishing
Tap the base of each shumai on the worktop so it flattens and stands upright. Put a little grated carrot or a few peas on the open top — it is traditional and adds colour.
-
6
Steaming
Line the steamer basket with perforated baking paper or lettuce leaves, and arrange the shumai 2 cm apart. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 8–10 minutes. Wrap the basket lid in a towel so drops of water don’t fall onto the wrappers.
-
7
Serving
Serve them hot in the basket itself with a dipping sauce: soy sauce + rice vinegar + sesame oil + chilli. Shumai firm up as they cool, so speed matters.
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Tips that actually matter
- Beat the filling in one direction until sticky — that is the secret of the texture.
- Keep the mushroom soaking water; it is an umami concentrate.
- Leave the top open — that is the proper shape of shumai, not a mistake.
- Wrap the steamer lid in a towel so the drops don’t wet the wrappers.
- Cover the wonton wrappers with a damp towel as you work so they don’t dry out.
People also ask
What is the difference between shumai and gyoza?
Shumai are open at the top, only ever steamed, and made with thin wonton wrappers. Gyoza are closed and pleated, fried and steamed in the same pan, and made with a thicker dough. The fillings are seasoned differently too.
Can I make them without wonton wrappers?
You can use spring roll wrappers cut into circles, or make a homemade dough from 200 g flour + an egg + 60 ml water and roll it out very thinly. The result is a little thicker, but it works perfectly well.
Can I freeze them?
Yes, and that is the best way. Freeze them raw on a flat tray, then move them to a bag. Steam them straight from the freezer, adding 3–4 minutes. They keep for 3 months without the texture suffering.
The wrappers stick to the basket — what’s the fix?
Line the basket with perforated baking paper or lettuce or cabbage leaves, and brush it with a thin layer of oil. Leave space between the pieces so they can expand. And if the basket is bamboo, wet it with water before using it.
Cook mode
Chinese Steamed Shumai
-
1
Soaking the mushrooms
Soak the dried shiitake in warm water for 30 minutes, then squeeze them out and chop them finely. Keep the soaking water and add two spoonfuls of it to the filling — it is a very strong umami concentrate, and it costs nothing.
-
2
Beating the filling
Mix the minced chicken with the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, cornflour and egg white. Beat the mixture in one direction for 3–4 minutes until it is sticky and clings to the spoon. Beating in one direction lines up the meat proteins, so the filling turns firm and springy.
-
3
Adding texture
Add the chopped prawns, mushrooms and spring onions and fold them in gently — no more beating. Prawns cut into pieces rather than minced give a distinctive bite. Cover the filling and chill it for 30 minutes so it firms up.
-
4
Shaping the shumai
Put a wrapper in the palm of your hand and add a tablespoon of filling to the middle. Cup your hand so the wrapper rises up the sides, and push the filling down with the back of a spoon while pressing on the sides. Leave the top open — don’t close it.
-
5
Flattening and garnishing
Tap the base of each shumai on the worktop so it flattens and stands upright. Put a little grated carrot or a few peas on the open top — it is traditional and adds colour.
-
6
Steaming
Line the steamer basket with perforated baking paper or lettuce leaves, and arrange the shumai 2 cm apart. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 8–10 minutes. Wrap the basket lid in a towel so drops of water don’t fall onto the wrappers.
-
7
Serving
Serve them hot in the basket itself with a dipping sauce: soy sauce + rice vinegar + sesame oil + chilli. Shumai firm up as they cool, so speed matters.
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