Pearl Dumplings

Dim Sum and Other Snack Foods

Pearl Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 cup raw sweet rice, covered with two inches of cold water, and soaked for two hours
1 pound ground fatty pork
2 large eggs, beaten well
2 Tablespoons and ½ teaspoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoons finely chopped canned water chestnuts
2 plus a 1/4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch>br> 2 teaspoons Shao Xing wine
2 teaspoons peeled minced fresh ginger
2 or 3 large cabbage leaves
a mixture of: ½ cup Chinese black vinegar and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 2 Tablespoons peeled slivered fresh ginger
Preparation:
1. In a large freezer-safe bowl, using your hands, mix the pork, eggs, soy sauce, water chestnuts, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, the sugar, cornstarch, wine and the ginger.
2. Freeze this for half an hour just until firm.
3. Now drain the rice and stir in the remaining soy sauce and the 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
4. Now, wet your hands, and roll one heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture into a ball; and roll it gently into the rice mixture pressing until the rice sticks. Freeze them if they feel too soft.
5. Line a bamboo steamer with the cabbage leaves, put the pearl dumplings on it not touching each other, and steam over boiling water for fifteen minutes, then serve with the black vinegar mixture as their dipping sauce.

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