Crystal Pork & Jicama Dumplings (水晶饺子) (Gok Zai)

This recipe for steamed Crystal Dumplings (水晶饺子) (Gok Zai) features a juicy pork and jicama filling enveloped in a delicious, thin, chewy translucent skin.

What are crystal dumplings?

Crystal dumplings refer to a type of Chinese dumpling that uses a combination of starches rather than wheat flour to produce a whitish-translucent dough.

The dumpling skin becomes translucent and crystal-like after steaming. 

Shrimp har gow and Teochow fun guo (tapioca dumplings) are various types of crystal dumpling, as the skin is translucent.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for Crystal Dumplings is:

Straightforward: making the filling ahead of time and using a dumpling mold streamlines the process.

Delicious: the pork and jicama filling is savory, slightly sweet and flavorful, paired with the bouncy, chewy dumpling skin.

Perfect for parties: or celebrations, such as Chinese New Year as the dumplings can be made ahead of time and taste great even at room temperature.

Gluten-free: the dumplings are naturally gluten-free (note: the filling can be made gluten-free by omitting the all-purpose flour and swapping it with cornstarch).

Special equipment you'll need

• round cutter: I used one that is 3.25" in diameter
• dumpling mold: also 3.25" in diameter
• tortilla press: to flatten the dough; or you can use a heavy bottomed pot or pan

You can use a larger round cutter and match it to a similar sized dumpling mold.

Ingredients you'll need

Filling:

• dried shrimp (蝦米): rinsed and soaked, optional; adds extra flavor but you can omit if you have allergies
• ground pork (豬肉碎); you can use regular or lean ground pork
• seasonings: soy sauce (醬油), black pepper (黑胡椒), granulated sugar (砂糖), sea salt (鹽), oyster sauce (蠔油)
• garlic cloves (蒜): minced
• small jicama (沙葛): shredded thinly; is a round, root vegetable with a tan/brown-colored peel and beige interior; has a crunchy, slightly sweet texture similar to water chestnut
• carrot (胡蘿蔔): shredded
• leek (大蒜): just the green parts
• all-purpose flour (麵粉): to thicken up the filling; or cornstarch

Dough:

• wheat starch (小麥澱粉): a white flour that adds a smooth and slightly chewy texture; gives it its translucent exterior
• rice flour (米粉): the main ingredient
• tapioca starch (菱粉): adds another dimension of chewiness
• hot boiling water (沸水): water needs to be boiling hot to gelatinize the dough
• vegetable oil (菜油)

How to make crystal dumplings

Make the filling (best done a day ahead)

Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the dried shrimps until fragrant.

Transfer to a bowl.

Add in the ground pork, soy sauce, black pepper, sugar and salt and saute until the pork is cooked.

Add in garlic and stir fry for another 2 minutes. 

Next, add in the jicama, and dried shrimp (if using), and continue to cook until the jicama is slightly softened.

Add in carrots and leek, and cook for a few minutes. 

Add in oyster sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning.

If the jicama contains a lot of water, add in 1-2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the mixture and cook for another 2 more minutes.

Transfer the cooked filling into a clean bowl and let cool completely.

Cover and chill in the fridge overnight.

Make the dough

Combine wheat starch, rice flour, tapioca starch in a large heat-proof bowl. Give it a mix.

Pour in 600ml of hot boiling water into the flour mixture.

Mix with a wooden spoon, until the dough has cooled a little.

Knead the dough with your hands for 2-3 minutes.

Add in oil and continue to knead until the dough is smooth.

Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Form the dough into a long log and divide into 14g dough balls (for 3.25" diameter dumpling mold).

Flatten the dough by placing it in between a folded piece of parchment paper and pressing it between a tortilla press. (Thickness of dough should be ~1 mm).

Lightly grease the dumpling mold with sesame oil (only the first time) and place the dough in the mold.

Add 1 tablespoon of filling and close the mold firmly to form the dumpling.

Place the dumplings on a lightly greased steaming rack.

Repeat with the remainder.

Steam the dumplings

Steam the dumplings on medium-high heat for 8 minutes, open the lid to let the steam escape, cover for another 2 minutes, or until the skin is translucent.

Remove the steamed dumplings and lightly brush with sesame oil while still hot.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

How to serve

Serve the Gok Zai dumplings with sweet chili sauce or chili oil.

You can also pair the dumplings with other dim sum dishes such as shrimp har gow, pork siu mai, or pork dumplings.

It's best to serve them on the day they are made.

How to store

Store the crystal dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Do not freeze these dumplings as the texture will change and the skin will crack.

Variations

You can omit the ground pork and just use jicama and dried shrimp in the filling.

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