Siopow (Steamed Dumplings)
Submitted by eiiie
Homemade siopao steamed dumplings stuffed with a savory shrimp, ground pork, and water chestnut filling. Makes 30 pillowy buns from scratch, street-food style.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minSiopao is Filipino street food at its finest: soft, pillowy steamed buns wrapped around a savory filling that makes you want to eat three before you’ve even sat down.
This version stuffs each wrapper with chopped shrimp, ground pork, crunchy water chestnuts, and scallions bound together with egg.
The dough gets rolled paper thin for a delicate skin, but you can go thicker for that classic street vendor style with a bready, doughy chew.
Thirty minutes in the steamer and you’ve got a batch of 30 dumplings ready to disappear.
Variations
- Go thick with the wrappers (half-inch or more) for the chunky, bready siopao you’d grab from a street cart
- Swap the filling for leftover roast pork, chicken, or mixed vegetables with mushrooms and celery
- Add a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil to the filling for extra depth
Chef Tips
- Roll wrappers as thin as you can for a delicate, translucent skin that lets the filling shine through
- Don’t overcrowd the steamer. Leave space between each bun so they can expand without sticking together
- Seal the edges well by pinching and twisting. A loose seal means a burst dumpling
Ingredients
Directions
Boil wrappers.
Remove from heat and pour in 1½ cup flour and beat until it forms a ball.
Divide into 1¼ inch balls and roll each until paper thin.
Spoon 1 tbls. mixture into each wrapper, fold and seal.
Arrange in steamer and steam 30 minutes.
These can be made with much thicker wrappers (the ones the street vendors sell are more like ½ to 1 inch thick) and the filling can be just about anything.
I have done these with leftover meat and a few vegetables such as mushrooms, celery etc.
Comments
