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Authentic with a steamer! Basic Shumai

4.6

(225 reviews)

Time

approx. 30mins

Here’s a basic shumai recipe you can make authentically at home! These delicious dumplings are filled with the savory flavor of ground pork and the sweetness of onion. Wrapping them is easier than you might think. Steaming keeps them juicy and tender. Shumai are popular both as a snack with drinks and as a side for rice, so give them a try!

  • Calories

    264kcal

  • Carbs

    18.1g

  • Fat

    13.4g

  • Protein

    14.9g

  • Net Carbs

    16.8g

  • Sodium

    786mg

* Per serving (based on 3 servings)

* Nutritional values are based on the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan and may differ from U.S. food composition data.

* Sodium is estimated from the recipe's salt content (1 g salt ≈ 393 mg sodium).

Ingredients [ 3 servings ]

  • shumai wrappers15 sheets
  • green peas15
  • soy sauceto taste
  • karashi (Japanese hot mustard)to taste

☆ Filling

  • ground pork200 g
  • onion½
  • potato starch1 tablespoon
  • sake1 tablespoon
  • sugar½ teaspoon
  • soy sauce½ tablespoon
  • sesame oil1 teaspoon
  • grated ginger½ teaspoon
  • salt and peppera pinch
Cooking notes

Please Note

Ingredients may vary by product and region. If you have food allergies or dietary restrictions, please review all ingredient labels carefully before cooking. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any health concerns.

Instructions

1

Finely chop the onion.

2

Put the ingredients marked with ☆ in a bowl and mix well until the mixture becomes sticky.

3

Place the filling from step 2 on each shumai wrapper, shape it into a cylinder, and press a green pea into the center.

Note:

Frozen green peas work too.

4

Line the top tier of the steamer with parchment paper. Arrange the shumai from step 3 on it.

Note:

You can also line it with cabbage or napa cabbage instead of parchment paper.

5

Bring water to a boil in the steamer, set the tier from step 4 on top, and steam for about 10 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Transfer the shumai to a plate and serve with soy sauce and karashi if you like.

Note:

Insert a bamboo skewer into the center of a shumai; if it feels hot, they are done steaming.

Reviews

4.6

(225 reviews)

*Automatically translated from reviews posted in Japan.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I tried steaming them for 15 minutes in a frying pan lined with parchment paper, without adding green peas on top. My child ate a lot, and I could only eat two myself. They were delicious. Wrapping them in the skins definitely takes some practice.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made this for the first time. I tried different substitutes for a steamer... When I used an electric griddle, the bottoms of the wrappers stuck, and by the time I took them out, they had lost their shape. I cooked the rest in the microwave instead. I added water and heated them at 500W for 5 minutes. They might have needed a little longer. 2022.2.27 (photo) I made them a second time. I bought a steamer at IKEA. When you make them in a steamer, they do not fall apart when you take them out. As expected! I poked holes in the cooking paper just like in the video, but maybe because of that, they turned out too watery. The flavor was a little light, so I thought a dipping sauce would have helped.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    As they steam, the skins start to open, so I make them with the tops fairly well closed. I also want to use up all the green peas in one go, so I pile on plenty.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was much easier than I expected, and up until the steaming step it went by in no time. Shaping them was difficult, but once I get used to it, I think I’ll be able to make them look nice. I don’t have a steamer, so I used a frying pan based on other recipes. I also added chicken stock powder and garlic based on other reviews, and it was delicious!! I’ll definitely make it again.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I made this without green peas. Instead of buying ground pork, I bought thinly sliced pork and finely chopped it with a knife. The seasoning was delicious. It seems like adding extra ginger would work well, too 😊 The second time, I used more ginger. It was delicious.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    I ended up making authentic shumai. I also tried adding finely chopped shiitake mushrooms. They were fully steamed in about 10 minutes. They were very delicious! My family loved them too. Next time, I’d like to try making them with seasonal lotus root in the filling.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    It was my first time making these, but since I didn’t have a steamer, I arranged them in a small pot, so they ended up sticking together. I lined the bottom with cabbage and left out the green peas. The flavor was very good, but next time I think I’ll add a little more ginger 💕

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Ever since I started making shumai with this recipe, I haven’t bought shumai from the store. It’s easy to make and delicious, and I love that you can adjust it to suit your taste. In our home, we add extra onion so it has a slight crunch when you bite into it. We also change up the topping in various ways, using green peas, edamame, shrimp, and more.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Easy and delicious. It’s the best.

  • 🇯🇵 User from Japan

    Thank you for this recipe. Everyone ate them all.