Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角)

Ham Sui Gok on a board with chopsticks, tea and dishes of chili sauce and spring onions

5 from 11 votes

Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角)

If you've never made Ham Sui Gok at home before, now's the time. These gorgeous fried glutinous dumplings are a favorite at yum cha restaurants for their delicious porky goodness and wonderfully chewy skin!

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time1

Rehydration Time20

Total Time2 50

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Servings: dumplings

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Jeannette

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.

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