Jiaozi: Chinese dumplings gluten-free version

Jiaozi: Chinese dumplings gluten-free version. Versione italiana. I was often asked the question of how to make this type of dumplings in gluten-free version. So I thought it was a good idea to experiment with it, until I got a really satisfying recipe. I tried different versions, trying not to use thickeners, but without egg it becomes really too difficult to try to give a consistency to the dough that is sufficient even to make the most basic closure possible.

So I finally chose a mix of flours:

Mix of gluten-free flours Mulino Marello for pasta, already balanced to prepare fresh pasta dough. This flour can also be used without thickeners, in the case of making egg pasta, for example.
Gluten-free rice flour: I added a more consistent portion of rice flour than that present in the mix, since my original recipe requires a portion of rice flour equal to at least half.
Xanthan gum: it is a thickener, used above all in gluten-free doughs, precisely to give elasticity to the dough, which is not such if there is no gluten.

For rice flour and Xanthan I recommend that you always check the presence of the gluten-free indicator. In fact, it is true that they do not contain any gluten naturally. But, since they main usage purpose is not for gluten-free world, they could be subjected to processes that make them come into contact with glutinous substances.

Regarding the filling, I usually use a mix of beef and pork that is not too lean (e.g. minced beef for meatballs and pasta for sausage) and vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, leek or spring onions and a pinch of ginger. You can prepare them without ginger, if you don’t like it, but I remind you that it favors the digestibility of your dish.

Jiaozi: Chinese dumplings gluten-free version

Ingredients (dough – 25-30 dumplings):

100g gluten-free flours for pasta (i.e. Mulino Marello)
100g gluten-free rice flour
5g xanthan gum
150ml hot water
Corn starch (to taste for the pastry board)

Ingredients (filling):

100g ground beef (i.e. for meatballs)
100g minced pork (i.e. sausage paste)
One medium carrot
A small leek (or 2 spring onions)
One or two cabbage leaves
1cm grated ginger root (optional)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce

Directions: (dough – filling)

To prepare the dough, start by mixing the two flours and the Xanthan gum. Then add some hot water, this will favor the elasticity of the mixture.
Start mixing with a fork and then move on to knead with your hands, transferring the dough to a pastry board. Continue until the mixture is homogeneous. Then pass in the cornstarch, cover with non-stick film and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
In the meantime, you can proceed to prepare the filling by pouring the two minced meats into a bowl. Then adding the washed, dried and finely chopped vegetables in the food processor. Finally the spoons of soy sauce and grated ginger.
Mix the filling well. I recommend that you knead it with your hands, as if it were also a real dough. This will allow you to mix the ingredients in the best possible way and avoid a greater concentration of meat, vegetables or ginger only in some places. Then let the latter rest as well while you return to take care of the pastry.

Directions: (composition of Jiaozi: Chinese dumplings gluten-free version)

Now start taking portions of dough of about 50g each and pulling them. I advise you to use a pasta machine and stop at the third to last or penultimate hole when pulling the dough, which must be about 1 / 1.5 mm thick. In fact, to make gluten-free Jiaozi I noticed that the dough must remain a little thicker than the ones I usually prepare, otherwise it tends to break both in closing and in cooking. You should also not take excessively large portions of dough so as not to make sheets too long. If the dough is very wet, flour before each pass in the pasta machine with corn starch.
Then place the sheets on the pastry board and use a round pastry cutter of about 8cm to make circles of dough. Take them one by one and place a generous teaspoon of dough in the center.
At this point, move on to closing. I propose two possible closures:
1. Simple: the simplest closure is the “rectangle” one. In this case you will only have to join two ends of the circle, seal them with the help of your fingers, creating a side that is longer than half and then folding the other two ends inwards and sealing them against the side you just made. For greater clarity check out the photos below.
2. Medium: “double side pleated” closure. In this case you have to join two ends of the circle, trying to seal a fairly small section and then make 2-3 folds towards the center in the front first from the right side and then from the left. The side facing you, on the other hand, must remain smooth. Also in this case for greater clarity see the photos below.

Directions: (cooking)

Now it’s the time to cook your duplings. You can use the classic bamboo basket or any metal steamer basket. The important thing in both cases is to cover the basket with a sheet of parchment paper with holes or with a cabbage leaf, to prevent the ravioli from sticking.
Then bring water to a boil in a pot suitable for placing the basket. When it is hot, place a few ravioli at a time, so that they are far enough apart not to touch each other.
Cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. The dough will be shiny when cooked and if you cut one of the ravioli with a fork, there must be no whiter portion inside the dough sheet.
Serve hot with a special sauce for Chinese dumplings, or with soy sauce lengthened with a hint of rice vinegar or apples.