How long do you steam har gow?

Steam fresh har gow over boiling water for 6 to 7 minutes, until the wrappers turn glossy and translucent. Steam them straight from frozen, without thawing, for 12 to 15 minutes (for larger-sized dumplings).

Har gow (also spelled har gao, ha gow, or ha gau, and written 虾饺 / xia jiao) are Cantonese crystal shrimp dumplings: a juicy shrimp filling sealed inside a thin, translucent wrapper. They're a mainstay on Chinese menus and on yum cha trolleys around the world, but most famously in Hong Kong.

Can you make har gow ahead and freeze them?

Yes. Freeze the filled raw dumplings on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Steam from frozen for 12 to 15 minutes, with no change in taste or texture.

How do you steam har gow without a bamboo steamer?

Use any pot, deep sauté pan, or lidded skillet that holds enough water for the full 6 to 7 minutes without running dry. Set a collapsible stainless steel steamer basket, or a stainless steel canning rack, inside it, and line it with a bamboo liner, cabbage leaves, or banana leaves. Steam with the lid on for the same 6 to 7 minutes.

Can you boil har gow instead of steaming them?

Har gow are made to be steamed. Gentle steam sets the crystal wrapper to that glossy, translucent finish and keeps the delicate pleats from tearing, which is what you would risk in a rolling boil. Steaming is the traditional method. That said, you can always test-boil a couple if you're curious. You can pan-fry them in a little oil (I've done it) until cooked through. You can also pot-stick leftover steamed har gow, give them a quick pan-fry in a little oil to crisp the bottoms, since the wrapper browns best once it is already cooked.

What is the har gow wrapper made of?

The crystal wrapper is made from wheat starch and tapioca starch (or you can substitute the tapioca with potato or corn starch) mixed with scalding boiling water and a little oil. The boiling water is what makes the starches gel into a clear, stretchy dough.

What sauce do you serve with har gow?

I love the simple dumpling dipping sauce and my homemade Sichuan chili crisp oil (both found in the recipe card). Both work beautifully.

Does har gow have pork?

Traditional har gow filling often includes a little pork fat for added richness, and this recipe uses shrimp with a small amount of lard and oil, but it's easy to keep the filling all shrimp if you prefer, or have dietary or religious constraints.

Why is my har gow dough sticky or cracking?

Sticky dough is too wet: work in a little more starch (equal parts tapioca and wheat). Dough that cracks at the edges is too dry; knead in 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time until smooth and pliable.

Har Gow Recipe 虾饺 (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings + Video)

Name: Crystal Shrimp Dumplings 虾饺 (Dim Sum Har Gow)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: FOR THE HAR GOW WRAPPERS; 1 cup wheat starch (135g); 1/2 cup tapioca starch (60g) (sub potato starch or corn starch); 1 1/4 cups hot boiling water (285g) (plus up to 2 teaspoons more if the dough seems dry); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15g) (sub lard); FOR THE HAR GOW FILLING; 8 ounces shrimp, cleaned and deveined (226g) (preferably a mix with Argentinian Red shrimp); 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g); 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (15g); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15g); 2 teaspoons light soy sauce (8g) (or omit); 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (5g) (or omit altogether); 1 teaspoon lard (5g) (sub vegetable oil or simply omit altogether); 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (2.5g); 1 teaspoon cornstarch (2.5g) (sub tapioca starch); 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, scraped into a paste (2g); 3/4 teaspoon sugar (3g); 1/4 teaspoon salt (1g); 1/8 scant teaspoon white pepper, or more to taste up to 1/4 teaspoon if desired (1g); 1 small scallion (green parts only), finely minced (sub chives); 2 tablespoons bamboo shoots, finely diced (30g) (or up to 1/4 cup for extra texture if desired 60g); TO SERVE; Simple dipping sauce (stir the ingredients together and serve); 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce; 2 tablespoons water; a pinch or two of sugar; 2 to 3 slices fresh ginger; scallions; Sichuan Chili Oil; Sichuan Chili Oil (Xiangla Hongyou 香辣红油) (optional but highly recommended)

Description

These steamed crystal dumplings are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat, a juicy shrimp filling you can see through a thin, clear wrapper. They're far easier to make than they look. Detailed step-by-step photos and every tip are in the main post, and be sure to watch the short video below.

Ingredients

Units

FOR THE HAR GOW WRAPPERS
1 cup wheat starch (135g)
1/2 cup tapioca starch (60g) (sub potato starch or corn starch)
1 1/4 cups hot boiling water (285g) (plus up to 2 teaspoons more if the dough seems dry)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15g) (sub lard)
FOR THE HAR GOW FILLING
8 ounces shrimp, cleaned and deveined (226g) (preferably a mix with Argentinian Red shrimp)
1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (15g)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15g)
2 teaspoons light soy sauce (8g) (or omit)
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (5g) (or omit altogether)
1 teaspoon lard (5g) (sub vegetable oil or simply omit altogether)
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (2.5g)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (2.5g) (sub tapioca starch)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, scraped into a paste (2g)
3/4 teaspoon sugar (3g)
1/4 teaspoon salt (1g)
1/8 scant teaspoon white pepper, or more to taste up to 1/4 teaspoon if desired (1g)
1 small scallion (green parts only), finely minced (sub chives)
2 tablespoons bamboo shoots, finely diced (30g) (or up to 1/4 cup for extra texture if desired 60g)
TO SERVE
Simple dipping sauce (stir the ingredients together and serve)
2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
a pinch or two of sugar
2 to 3 slices fresh ginger
scallions
Sichuan Chili Oil
Sichuan Chili Oil (Xiangla Hongyou 香辣红油) (optional but highly recommended)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Soak the shrimp in baking soda-water solution. Add the cleaned shrimp to a small bowl and add 1 tsp of baking soda and massage them gently to coat. Add cold water to cover the shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes. After the shrimp have soaked, rinse them and squeeze out all of the water that you can (you may even pat them dry with a paper towel if desired, but I don't find it necessary).
Make the har gow filling. Smash and mince half of the shrimp, roughly dice the rest, and add everything to a large mixing bowl. Lay the ginger slices on a cutting board and use a chef's knife to press and scrape them into a paste, and add it to the shrimp mixture along with remaining dumpling filling ingredients except for the bamboo shoots. Whip the shrimp mixture in one direction using a pair of chopsticks (or a fork) for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture becomes lighter in color, somewhat pasty, and all of the liquid is absorbed. Fold in the bamboo shoots. Cover and refrigerate the har gow filling while you make the dumpling dough.
Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, whisk the wheat starch, tapioca starch, and a pinch of salt until combined. Pour in the scalding water in a steady stream, while simultaneously mixing the starches using a fork until you can form a shaggy ball. The dough will be hot at this point, so be careful! Add the oil and begin squishing the mixture together until it's all absorbed, then knead a couple of minutes until smooth and pliable, adding up to 2 teaspoons more hot water if it seems dry. Working quickly, form a log about 1 1/2 to 2 feet long, then cut it into 3 smaller equal-sized logs. Keep 2 of the logs wrapped with sustainable cling film and place them inside a freezer bag so they stay moist (or cover them with a warm, damp towel).
Roll out the har gow wrappers. Working with one log at a time, slice off 6 or 7 equal pieces (about 18-20g each). Cover the dough pieces or place them in a freezer bag to keep them from drying out. If using the electric Pastadrive to roll out the wrappers, lightly dust the rollers with tapioca or corn starch, turn the width setting to #2, and run the dough ball through, then roll through on #3, then #4 (what I used for this post). Go up to setting 5 for even thinner wrappers. If using a rolling pin, cleaver, or back of knife to roll out the wrappers, lightly brush any of them with oil and then brush the work surface (either a cutting board or countertop) with oil as well. Flatten a dough ball and then use any of these tools to press and slide the dough in one motion until it's perfectly thin. *Alternatively, you may also use a tortilla press using the same technique as pressing corn tortillas.
Prepare the bamboo steamer. Line the bottoms of the steamer with fresh cabbage leaves, banana leaves, or parchment paper that has slits cut in it. You may even brush the leaves or paper with oil as a failsafe.
Fill the dumplings. Place a wrapper in your palm, add a mound of filling, fold in half, pinch the top center, then pleat one side at a time until sealed. Place filled dumplings into the prepared bamboo steamer about 1 inch apart so they don't touch, or place them onto a parchment-lined sheet tray and freeze them immediately. See main post for step-by-step pleating photos.
Steam the dumplings. Steam over boiling water for 6 to 7 minutes, until glossy and translucent. Let air-dry for about 45 seconds before moving to a platter so they do not stick and tear. Serve with the dipping sauce and/or chili oil. To steam from frozen, do not thaw; steam for 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes

Find all the best tips and techniques in the main post.

When working alone, I prefer to roll a wrapper and fill it immediately. Then roll another wrapper, fill it, and repeat until all the dumplings are filled. If you're working with a partner, have one person roll wrappers, and the other fill them.

Steaming setup: add enough water to your wok or pan to steam a full 6 to 7 minutes without running dry, and never let the water touch the bottom basket or the dumplings. Add the baskets once the water is boiling, cover, and cook 6 to 7 minutes.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Category: Dim Sum + Dumplings
Method: Steamed
Cuisine: Chinese

Nutrition

Serving Size: 5 dumplings
Calories: 245
Sugar: 2g
Sodium: 620mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 1,5g
Unsaturated Fat: 7.5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 13g
Cholesterol: 90mg