How to wrap Dumplings or Gyoza 如何包饺子

Yesterday I taught my daughter on how to wrap gyoza and surprised that she learnt so far. So let my daughter to show you an easy way to wrap dumplings or Japanese Gyoza. I learnt this from a Taiwanese lady who taught us how to make vegetarian pumpkin dumplings when i attended a vegetarian food party which organized by Tzu Chi Malaysia 慈濟 previously.



1. Take a wrapper, dip your finger into a bowl of water and draw a circle around the edge of wrapper.

** if you use homemade wrapper, then you don't need to dip with water, example the pumpkin wrapper i made last time.

2. Take a small spoon of filling and put it in the center of the wrapper.



3. fold the wrapper in half and seal both center.

4.  start from center towards right side, start sealing the wrapper by placing a pleat and press to seal.



5. Leave a gap, continue to placing a pleat and press to seal.

6. Now start from center again towards left side, continue to placing pleats and press to seal. Each side makes 2 pleats.



7. Once 4 pleats are done, bend a bit of right and left end, and lightly press down to let the bottom part expand, so it can sit nicely.

8. Dumplings or Gyoza are done..

** you may also refer to this video or Just One Cookbook which show you how to wrap dumplings for more than 4 pleats..

Sashimi, Nara City 奈良, Japanese Curry Rice, Osaka Japan

Finally, i have a chance to try sashimi in Japan, it was so so good and fresh!!

This was the shop we visited and it was located at Shinsaibashi area, sorry can't recall the exact location

I don't know Japanese, but i guess this article is telling where they get all the fresh seafood.



Beside sashimi, we also ordered salted chicken cubes and grilled saba

But the main attraction was this plate of very fresh sashimi..don't miss to take sashimi when you visit Japan ya..

Walking around Nara city and curry rice

Once we came out from Nara park, we choosen to walk back from this park to train station, the distance was not that far actually.. So we can have sight seeing of this small Nara city..Below pictures were taken along our walk..

This is a famous Japanese garden in Nara, but we decided not to enter and continue our walk..

a shopping street nearby, can see deer too..

Wow, even man-holes also has deer pattern, beautiful..

Not sure what was the celebration..

A cute Japanese girl with her pink bicycle

stop by this curry house for lunch

I ordered beef curry, the curry was a bit sweet to my liking..

My hubby ordered this mix vegetable curry, it was really delicious!

Finally we reached the train station

Snacks

When Nami Just One Cookbook posted her Mitarashi Dango みたらし団子 , i was wonder how it taste. Finally i got a chance to try out. An interesting flavour of the sauce, sweet and salty..

Imagawayaki (今川焼き^?)

Every time we passed by this shop while we were at the train station (I think it was Umeda station) , sure we buy their Imagawayaki, (pan cake that filled with sweet azuki bean paste), very nice  and yummy!

Sakura Swiss Roll 桜花蛋糕卷

When i bought the pickled sakura from Kyoto Japan, I was planned to make a Sakura swiss roll but end up did sakura cookies first..Anyway, i finally did it today..

In fact, the taste of this pickled sakura is like pickled plum, nothing to shout out. But i have to admit putting sakura in any pastry, it look simply gorgeous !!

I use the pickled sakura bought from this shop, refer here

For this recipe, i provided the full recipe of 10"x14" pan size, but in actual, i removed 2" from 14" length as shorter length is easy to roll.

Sakura Swiss Roll
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*35cm x 25cm (10” x 14”) square pan

Swiss Roll sponge
4 egg yolks (large)
40g corn oil
40g water
20g caster sugar
70g cake flour
1tsp Cointreau- orange-flavoured liqueur (optional), or replace with vanilla extract

4 egg white (large)
1/2tsp lemon juices, optional
50g caster sugar

15pcs pickled Sakura

Method
1. Put the pickled Sakura in a bowl, cover with enough water, leave it for 2hrs or more, to reduce the salt from the Sakura.
2. Drain the Sakura and discard the water. Also very lightly squeeze the water using finger.
3. Dust little cake flour on pickled sakura, arrange on the pan that line with parchment paper.
4. Lightly whisk egg yolk with sugar.
5. Add in corn oil, stir to combine.
6. Add in water and Contreau, combine well.
7. Add in cake flour, mix well, set aside.
8. Add lemon juices into egg white, beat till foamy.
9. Gradually add in sugar, beat till stiff peaks.
10. Take 1/3 portion of egg white mixture and use hand whisk to mix with egg yolk mixture till light.
11. Fold the balance of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture, combine well.
12. Pour batter into the pan and bake at pre-heated oven at 160C (at middle rack) for 25mins. Remove cake from pan and cool down on wire rack till cool completely.

Cream
120g whipping cream (dairy)
35g caster sugar

Method
1. Add sugar and cream together in a mixing bowl.
2. Place the mixing bowl over a larger mixing bowl that filled with water and ice cubes.
3. Use a hand mixer, beat over high speed till stiff peak and thick.
4. Keep in the refrigerator before use.

To assemble Swiss roll
1. Carefully turn the baked sponge cake onto a piece of baking/parchment paper.
2. Slowly peel off the attached baking/parchment paper from the cake.
3. Place a new piece of baking/parchment paper over the sponge. Invert the sponge again.
4. Slice out a small piece of sponge on a 45-degree angle at another end, so the end of sponge will neatly attached to the sponge at the end of rolling.
5. Make few slits on the whole cake. Spread evenly a layer of cream.
6. With the shorter side/breadth facing you, roll the cake up tightly to form a swiss roll. Wrap with cling wrap and chill in the fridge (if using whipping cream) to allow the swiss roll to set. Slice to serve.

Latest update- if you interested to buy this pickled sakura, you may like to check this online shop- link . I have purchased from them, their service is fast and accurate.

Stir- fried Chive flowers, Tofu and Crab sticks

Sorry to bother all with my scheduled Japan travel posts, but I am appreciate very much to those who left comment even i was away for vacation. Actually i spent quite a lot of time trying to finish this Japan travel post before i go for vacation, in fact still have 1-2 two more posts to go..hehehe..
After 7days of eating Bali foods (Babi guling, Bebek(duck), pork ribs & etc), soon i returned home, i really miss Nasi Lemak and Chinese foods..So I cooked this tofu dish, also cooked white cut chicken, stir fried green veggie and ABC soup soon i returned from Bali. This is a typical homecook Chinese dish that i like to prepare for my family.

Usually i don't add crab sticks into tofu dish, but spotted Rice Bowl Tales added crab sticks  (sorry, can't really remember in which post) , so i also cooked this way..Ya, add crab sticks only at the end of cooking, if you add in too early, the crab sticks will tend to be broken..

Stir- fried Chive flowers, Tofu and Crab sticks

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

1 small bunch chive flowers, cut into 2” length
3 soft white tofu, cut into big cubes
3 chinese dried shiitake mushroom, soaked in water till soften, slices
4 crab sticks, halved
20g carrot, sliced
50g meat, sliced (marinate with light soy sauce, pepper and tapioca starch)
2 garlic, chopped

1tbsp light soy sauce
1/2tsbp dark soy sauce
Salt to taste

Method
1. Deep fry tofu till golden brown, set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok, sauté garlic and add in meat, mushroom and carrot, stir fry till mix well.
3. Add in water and bring to boil. Then add in fried tofu, season with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and salt.
4. Cook over medium heat for about 5mins as to let tofu absorb the seasonings.
5. Add in chive flowers and crab sticks, lightly stir to mix well, cook for 1min.
6. Dish out, serve hot with rice.