Sui Kow ( Water Dumplings)

Sui Kow, directly translated from Cantonese are Water Dumplings. As children we called them "water dogs" as the sound of "kow" made us think of dogs, which is "gow" with a slightly different intonation. (Cantonese has 6 tone tables!).

​Either way, these dumplings are a delicious part of our cuisine and always welcomed at our dining tables. They differ from wontons, not only in size but also in taste. Sui Kows incorporate some vegetables into the filling and can be made with just pork or with prawns or with a mixture of both. I like the extra crunch of prawns. The addition of woodear fungus, and some vegetables also add to the texture. I also like the addition of cilantro for that special flavour.

As with many classical homemade Chinese dishes, there are just as many variations. This is a variation I made for us.

To make:

for the filling:
150g minced pork                     1 small piece woodear fungus                                       
80g raw prawns                          1 Tbs chopped green part of spring onion                
​2 tsp minced cilantro               1 small leaf of napa cabbage finely chopped
12 Siu Kow wrappers

seasoning for filling:                                                                              marinade for prawns:
1 1/2 teaspoons oil                                                                                1/8 tsp salt
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing)                                    1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon soya sauce                                                                     to serve: 
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                    2 large bowls of pork broth
3 dashes white pepper                                                                          blanched vegetables
                                                                                                                         hand cut Taiwan noodles
garnish:                                                                                                                       
green part of spring onions cut into rings        

Roughly chop up the prawns and marinade with the salt and sugar. Set aside.
Soak the wood fungus and chop finely.  

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the seasoning ingredients and mix well together. 
Let sit for about 10  to 15 minutes for the flavours to meld.

Lay out your work station with the siu kow wrappers, a small bowl of water and a large plate to hold your wrapped sui kows, and a moist towel to keep the sui kows from drying out when you are wrapping the rest.

Take a wrapper and lay it in the palm of your hand. Take a tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper, elongating it along the center. Wet a finger in the bowl of water and wet the circumference. Fold over the wrapper and press edges together to seal the sui kow into a half moon. Press out any air pockets.

Place you wrapped sui kow on the plate. Cover with the moist towel. Continue making the rest of your sui kows. 

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the sui kows in the boiling water for 4 minutes. The wrapper should look translucent and shriveled to cling to the filling and the sui kows will float to the surface. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon.

Serve immediately in hot soup or with soup noodles. Enjoy!

Note: the dumplings can be served on their own in a good soup, with noodles or even fried.                    
​ Tip: My mum taught me to marinade the prawns as it keeps it crisp when cooked

            ready to make sui kow                        prawns, roughly chopped           Taiwan handcut  noodles

    filling ingredients in a bowl                     all mixed together                        filling in center of wrapper

​                                                                  wrapped and ready to be cooked