A variation on the classic Kimchi Mondu and Chinese Dumpling, I have crafted another meat pocket short story. Read more on the early chapters here.

Thank you to my favorite local Korean restaurants (eating good food helps cook good food) and Aho’s Homemade Food blog for inspiration.

Kimchi Korean Dumplings

FILLING:

• 2 cups finely chopped kimchi
  
• 7 oz of extra firm tofu (came as a 14 oz package, used about ½, fried the rest to nibble on while making)
  
• 1 bundle of Chinese vermicelli noodles made from beans (green bean threads), about 2 oz uncooked
  
• 10 oz ground pork
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• Korean red pepper flakes
  
• Salt and black pepper(can’t really taste but a “normal amount” – consider how salty your kimchi is)
  
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil (I go by how it smells when all mixed, not too overpowering
  

WRAPPER:

• Won Ton Wraps (hack), 60 count pack
  

Instructions

1. Finley chop up the kimchi.
   
2. Prepare vermicelli by soaking in very hot water
   
3. Mash tofu.
   
   1. Once mashed wrap tofu in clean dish towel and over the sink squeeze to remove the extra liquid
      
4. Drain noodles and cut up into about inch lengths (use scissors)
   
5. In mixing bowl, thoroughly combine kimchi, tofu, pork, eggs, noodles, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, sesame oil. Just use the kitchen utensils God gave you! Hands!
   
   1. The goal is consistent ingredient distribution
      

   
   

Prepare the Dumplings

1. Wet the border of won ton wrappers with fingers
   
2. Place about 1 tablespoon filling in wrapper
   
3. Fold up by matching diagonal corners. In the cooking photo below, hubby demonstrated a less structured way to fold – guess which one….
   
4. Mush (technical term) and add a dab of water if you need to get it to stick together
   
5. Repeat until the filling or wrappers are gone. This should make just about 60 dumplings
   

Cook the Dumplings

1. Prepare your favorite steaming operation.
   
   1. I put a little cooking spray on the steamer basket to minimize stickage
      
2. Steam 5-10 minutes
   
3. You could steam for a shorter time and pan fry the rest if you wanted
   

Serve the Dumplings

1. Serve hot with a dumpling dipping sauce.
   
   1. Soy sauce, some rice wine vinegar (to taste) and red pepper flakes
      
   2. Or just buy a bottle of it
      

Save the Dumplings

1. Only cook up what you want to eat right away.
   
2. Freeze the remaining on a cookie sheet with waxed paper.