These pillow soft Ham Sui Gok are fried until bubbly, golden and iconicly chewy. They’re JUST like how you’d get at yum cha, only better with all the fresh ingredients and added spices!
A dim sum favorite
If there’s a dish that I always crave at my local yum cha restaurant, it’s a plate of deliciously chewy and succulent Ham Sui Gok fresh out of the fryer.
There’s nothing quite like that first bite of a Cantonese fried dumpling, so beautifully humble and loaded with porky goodnes.
But when it’s homemade…boy, they’re SOMETHING ELSE.
Just its gorgeous bubbly golden crust alone is enough to make anyone weak in the knees.
Then enter that stretchy glutinous fried dough with just the perfect amount of chew. No doubt, your mouth will be demanding this after: MORE.
It’s not over yet, though. Inside that incredible outer layer are tiny pork bits that just pop with juices infused in iconic Cantonese spices.
They’re so good that you won’t be able to wait to have the next!
Why this recipe works
- Pork belly is used for an extra succulent filling, full of porky flavor.
- The Ham Sui Gok are deep fried on a medium heat to develop a bronze coating then fried on high for that beautiful golden crust.
- Using a variety of fresh ingredients and spices gives a medley of flavor you can’t get anywhere else.
What you’ll need
For the dough
About the flour and starch
All the different flours and starches can be found at Chinese supermarkets in plastic packets. The most popular brand to use is Erawan, known for its elephant logo.
For the filling
About the meat
This recipe uses pork belly, but you’ll often find mince is used in restaurants. Both will result in a delicious filling, so the choice is up to your preference.
How to make this recipe
Mix the wheat starch with the water until it forms a dough.
Pour the glutinous rice flour into a new bowl and make a well for the sugar and wheat starch ball to go in the center.
Add the remaining water in and dissolve the sugar and wheat starch dough by messaging them with your hands.
When mixed together, knead it into the glutinous rice flour until it forms a larger dough then work in the oil until incorporated.
Let it rest in plastic glad wrap while you work on the filling.
Dice the pork belly into 0.5cm (0.2″) pieces and marinate with the pepper, salt, light soy sauce and 2 tbsp starch water.
Finely chop the rehydrated shrimp, scallops, shiitake mushrooms, pickled radish, water chestnuts, purple shallots and ginger.
Add oil to a pan on medium heat and brown the purple shallots and ginger.
Turn the heat up to high, add the mushrooms, scallops, shrimp and water chestnuts in to stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the pork belly in along with the five spice powder, sugar, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil and starch water.
Cook for 5 minutes or until completely cooked, then set aside to cool.
Note: Make sure to mix the starch in water until it becomes a slurry and pour it in at the very end.
Take the dough out and work it until it is flexible. If it is too dry, knead 1/2 tbsp water in at a time to get the desired consistency.
Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 15 segments.
Roll the dough into a ball and flatten it using your hand then gently stretch the rim until it is 10cm (4″) wide or large enough for the filling.
Add 1 tbsp of the cooked pork in the center of the dough.
Bring the left and right sides together and pinch the join close from top to bottom until it encloses the filling.
Roll the dumpling until it forms a long round ball.
Set your fryer up and fry the dumplings on medium heat for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Just before they’re ready, increase the heat to high and fry until golden.
Serve the Ham Sui Gok fresh and hot as is!
FAQs
No, they’re not. Wheat starch is the part extracted from the endosperm of wheat. It’s commonly used as a thickener in recipes.
Wheat flour, on the other hand, is the result of grinding wheat until it forms a powder. It can be used for making bread, muffins or cakes to give it its iconic chew.
Wheat starch is quite difficult to find in grocery stores, unless you’re searching in an inherently Chinese one. An alternative that is widely available in most places would be corn starch.
Tips for the best results
- Don’t overfill the dumpling. It may be tempting to stuff as much as you can into the center, but you’ll run the risk of the dough not being large enough to encase the filling.
- Adjust the heat as you cook. Fry the dumplings on a medium heat until just about cooked, then turn it up to a high heat for the outside to become golden and crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. Putting too many dumplings in to cook at once will lower the oil’s temperature, resulting in a mushy dough rather than developing a crust.
Make your favorite yum cha dishes!
- Seafood Rolls – The perfect pairing to go with Ham Sui Gok. Fried crispy goodness with a seafood filling is the answer to everything!
- Steamed Pork Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨) – A Cantonese favorite that can’t be skipped. You’ll have melt-in-your-mouth pork every time.
- Century Egg and Pork Congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥) – This is a popular rice porridge that frequents many dim sum houses for its humble and delicious flavors.
- Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce – No yum cha would be complete without a side of vegetables to complement all the meaty dishes.
- Yum Cha Mango Pancakes (芒果班戟) – Fresh, light and wonderfully juicy, this dessert is the go to for every finale.
- Sichuan Garlic Chili Oil – Spice every meal up with a hit of authentic chili oil that’s packed with spices!
Want more home cooked recipes?
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Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角)
Ingredients
The Dough
- 60 g / 1/4 US cup wheat starch
- 60 mL / 1/4 US cup water (for the wheat starch)
- 300 g / 1 1/2 US cup glutinous rice flour
- 50 g / 1/5 US cup sugar
- 120 mL / 1/2 US cup water (for the dough)
- 30 mL / 1/8 US cup cooking oil (use one with a neutral flavor)
Pork Marinade
- 300 g / 0.7 lb pork belly/mince
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp starch water slurry (2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 3 tbsp water)
The Filling
- 30 g / 0.07 lb pickled radish (optional)
- 40 g / 0.09 lb dehydrated shiitake mushroom
- 15 g / 0.03 lb dehydrated shrimp (rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes)
- 30 g / 0.07 lb rehydrated scallop (rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes)
- 3 water chestnut (found in tins in Asian grocery stores)
- 1 tbsp purple shallot
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
- remaining starch water slurry
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Mix the wheat starch with the water until it forms a dough.
- Pour the glutinous rice flour into a new bowl and make a well for the sugar and wheat starch ball to go in the center.
- Add the remaining water in and dissolve the sugar and wheat starch dough by messaging them with your hands. When mixed together, knead it into the glutinous rice flour until it forms a larger dough then work in the oil until incorporated.
- Let it rest in plastic glad wrap while you work on the filling.
- Dice the pork belly into 0.5cm (0.2") pieces and marinate with the pepper, salt, light soy sauce and 2 tbsp starch water.
- Finely chop the rehydrated shrimp, scallops, shiitake mushrooms, pickled radish, water chestnuts, purple shallots and ginger.
- Add oil to a pan on medium heat and brown the purple shallots and ginger.
- Turn the heat up to high, add the mushrooms, scallops, shrimp and water chestnuts in to stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the pork belly in along with the five spice powder, sugar, salt, pepper, oyster sauce, shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil and starch water. Cook for 5 minutes or until completely cooked, then set aside to cool.Note: Make sure to mix the starch in water until it becomes a slurry and pour it in at the very end.
- Take the dough out and work it until it is flexible. If it is too dry, knead 1/2 tbsp water in at a time to get the desired consistency.
- Roll the dough into a long log and divide it into 15 segments.
- Roll the dough into a ball and flatten it using your hand then gently stretch the rim until it is 10cm (4") wide or large enough for the filling.
- Add 1 tbsp of the cooked pork in the center of the dough.
- Bring the left and right sides together and pinch the join close from top to bottom until it encloses the filling.
- Roll the dumpling until it forms a long round ball.
- Set your fryer up and fry the dumplings on medium heat for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Just before they're ready, increase the heat to high and fry until golden.
- Serve the Ham Sui Gok fresh and hot as is!
Notes
- Don't overfill the dumpling. It may be tempting to stuff as much as you can into the center, but you'll run the risk of the dough not being large enough to encase the filling.
- Adjust the heat as you cook. Fry the dumplings on a medium heat until just about cooked, then turn it up to a high heat for the outside to become golden and crispy.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. Putting too many dumplings in to cook at once will lower the oil's temperature, resulting in a mushy dough rather than developing a crust.
- All the different flours and starches can be found at Chinese supermarkets in plastic packets. The most popular brand to use is Erawan, known for its elephant logo.
- This recipe uses pork belly, but you'll often find mince is used in restaurants. Both will result in a delicious filling, so the choice is up to your preference.
This looks so good but I would like to know if I’m able to use chicken instead of pork belly?
Hi Charla, you certainly can! I would suggest using chicken mince for it 🙂
Thanks for your detailed description to this flavorful recipe. Combinations to the filling is a treat. Delicious and flavorful. Need to surely try this out.
You’re very welcome!
So much flavour!! The way all these ingredients came together was absolutely heaven – and each little dumpling was so morish and tasty. Yum!
That’s great to hear, Bry!
I’ve never tried dumplings. Thanks so much for the dough recipe and photos. You make it seem easy.
They’re definitely worth trying. Thanks, Jacqueline!
So delicious! love the flavor in this! Will definitely be making again!
Thanks, Kim!
Can I make this in advance and freeze them?
Hi Larie-Anne, the dumplings will deflate after frying so if you want to freeze them then it’s best to do so after they’ve just been wrapped 🙂
Hi Jeannette.
How would you prepare them from frozen state? Deep fry them from frozen??? Thank you
Rose
Hi Rose, you can deep fry them frozen, but make sure to check the centre by cutting them open to see if they’re cooked all the way through 😀
This recipe sounds great, do you know if these can be frozen?
Hi May, I would suggest freezing them immediately after being wrapped. If you want to fry them, take them out of the freezer and fry as you would any frozen spring rolls.
The water that you use is it hot or cold to mix the wheat Starch?
Hi Jean, I used cold water for the wheat starch 🙂
This looks great. Is it the wheat starch that gives the skin the chewy texture? If I substitute with cornstarch, what texture will the skin have?
Hi, Joy! I haven’t tried it with corn starch before, but I do know that it gives food a wet and slippery texture that may not be ideal for this recipe’s shape and texture. Of course, you can always give it a go and see how it turns out!
Thanks Jeannette. I tried it with cornstarch and tapioca starch and it did not turn out. I tried again with wheat starch (after I had a chance to buy it), and the dough didn’t quite turn out either. Do I need to use boiling water with the glutinous rice flour maybe?
Did you find that the dough was too watery or dry? Sometimes you might need to adjust it a little depending on the weather of where you’re working with the dough. You can try it with boiling water and see how that goes!
Hi! Couple questions: Can I use minced pork instead of pork belly? Also can I substitute corn starch for the wheat starch? (gluten allergy) thanks so much!
Hi Alyssa! You certainly can use pork mince instead of pork belly for this recipe. I haven’t personally tried it with corn starch but from my undertanding it may not hold its form as well the wheat starch. But give it a go and see what works for you!
How about instead of wheat with Sticky rice or also called sweet rice, it does not have gluten. You will have to wash the rice, soak for 30 minutes, steam it for 20 minutes, or more until it is fully cooked then continue with the above recipe. I have not tried it, but there is a recipe that the sticky/sweet rice after being cooked, can be fried, but it has to be covered with egg and Breadcrumbs or cornmeal—Unfortunately the recipe is in Indonesian. I have not made that recipe either.It uses coconut milk—you could translate with Google maybe. I know it is tough to be allergic to gluten, I have one friend with the same problem.
https://cookpad.com/id/resep/8846561-lemper-goreng-isi-ayam
Hi ! My grandmother always made it with yam or sweet potato in the skin- making it an orangish color. Have you tried that before? Just wondering how much yam to put in the dough.
Hi, Kim! That sounds wonderful but I haven’t tried it before, unfortunately. I hope you get the perfect balance with some trial and error!
How would you reheat these – oven, air fryer etc.?
Hi, Brenda! I would suggest using the air fryer, but the oven will work as well. Just keep in mind that they won’t be as crisp as they were straight after their first deep fry.
How much dried shrimp would I add? The amount isn’t listed in the ingredients
Hi, Anita! That’d be 15g. Thanks for letting me know – I’ll update it on the recipe now!
Hi there, just wanted to mention, I loved this
post. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!
Thanks, Jacqueline! That’s so kind of you to say!
I tried making the dough and it looks like there isn’t enough liquid in it for me to knead it into a smooth dough. Is there supposed to be more liquid in it?
Hi, Anita! I’m sorry to hear that. If it’s not wet enough, you can add water 1 tbsp at a time and knead it until it is a smooth dough.
Is it possible to cook it in the airfryer instead of in oil?
Hi, Lily! I haven’t tried using an air fryer for this myself, but you can give it a go. Just make sure to spray it with oil before frying.
I have used the air fryer for frozen ones and it works great. At 380 degrees with a light spray of oil for 8 minutes and flip for another 8 minutes. They do come out light and crisp but not as crispy as deep fried. I have not tried the freshly made version yet but I’m sure it will work too. Enjoy!
Thanks for letting me know, Rose! I hope it works out just as well with the fresh ones too 😀
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
You’re very welcome, Adrian! Enjoy!
How do I reheat ham sui gok?
Do I reheat it in the oven or so I retry them?
Hi, Cathalina! If you’ve fried them already, I would suggest refrying them or using an air fryer. Ideally, they’re best eaten fresh. You can oven it or use a microwave, but they’ll lose their crisp. Alternatively, freeze the servings you won’t be eating and don’t fry them until you’re ready to eat them. Hope this helps!