How to Make Delicious Chewy Steamed Tapioca Dumplings

Steamed tapioca dumplings are a signature dish from Central Vietnam, renowned for their chewy soft texture and flavorful shrimp and pork filling. Let’s explore how to make this enticing dish right at home.

Ingredients Needed

To make steamed tapioca dumplings for 4 people, you will need the following ingredients:

• 500g of high-quality tapioca starch
• 300ml of boiling water (adjust according to humidity)
• 100g of fresh shrimp, still alive
• 200g of ground pork shoulder
• Green onions, seasonings: seasoning powder, pepper, salt
• Fish sauce, rock sugar for dipping sauce

Ingredients for tapioca dumplings

Steps to Follow

Preparing the Ingredients

After grinding the pork shoulder, marinate it with:

• 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder
• ½ teaspoon of ground pepper
• A little finely chopped green onion

Mix well and let it marinate for about 15 minutes to absorb the flavors. Unlike some recipes, there’s no need to sauté the meat first, which helps preserve its natural sweetness.

Clean the shrimp, remove the whiskers and legs, and marinate with a bit of salt and seasoning powder. Sauté until just cooked. Be careful not to overcook to prevent the shrimp from drying out.

Preparing the dumpling filling

Kneading the Dough and Shaping the Dumplings

Place the tapioca starch in a large bowl, add ½ teaspoon of salt, and form a well in the center. Gradually pour in the boiling water, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together.

Wash your hands and begin kneading the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth, pliable, and non-sticky. Divide the dough into small portions of about 20g each.

Kneading the dough for dumplings

Shaping and Boiling the Dumplings

Roll out each dough ball thinly, place the shrimp and pork filling in the center, and carefully wrap it up. Unlike traditional dumplings, these will be boiled directly in boiling water without wrapping in leaves.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, gently drop in the dumplings, and boil for about 5-7 minutes until they become translucent and float to the surface, indicating they are cooked.

Boiling tapioca dumplings

Enjoying

Steamed tapioca dumplings are best enjoyed hot, dipped in a sweet and tangy fish sauce prepared with:

• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• Sliced chili
• Minced garlic

Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely, and adjust to taste.

Conclusion

Steamed tapioca dumplings with their chewy soft texture and rich shrimp and pork filling are sure to delight your family. Save this recipe and try making this signature dish right away! Don’t forget to share your results in the comments below.