Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
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This recipe presents three different stuffed fried dim sum items. For those who want to make things more complicated, certainly the stuffing could be customized for each one, as could the batter. To keep things simple, we use the same farce (stuffing) in each item, and the same batter. We applied batter to our tofu but that is not strictly necessary.
All of these items come out better and last better on the table if they are double-fried. All of them get their first frying in a pan at a low temperature to ensure all the ingredients are properly cooked, then they cool on a rack. They get fried again at a high temperature for a short time right before serving. The first frying can be done fairly early; after the initial frying the items might even be frozen until needed. The second frying can take place in a deep fryer.
Once they get their second frying, they should be served and enjoyed while warm (but without burning the mouth). Soy sauce, mayonnaise, soy mixed with mayonnaise, pineapple plum sauce, sriracha, and many other dipping sauces may be served along side these items.
Makes about 18 pieces.
Equipment:
2 large mixing bowls
pan for shallow frying
deep frying setup (optional) for second frying
Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu cut into 8 diagonal half-cubes
2 ea Chinese eggplant
6 slices lotus root
1/4 lb pork ground
1/4 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, ground or chopped
1 ea scallion thinly sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp soy
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/2-2 tsp ginger minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground; or white pepper
1 tsp cornstarch or psyllium husk
Batter:
1 cup AP flour
1 1/3 cup ice water
1 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. In the mixing bowl, mix the minced shrimp, ground pork, sliced scallion, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, 1/4 tsp of salt, pepper (Sichuan or white), and cornstarch or psyllium.
2. Continue mixing the meat filling mixture until it stiffens somewhat. This will help to keep it from coming apart while frying.
3. Let the filling rest for a short time to stiffen further if desired; it might even be made a day ahead.
4. To create the stuffed dim sum, there are some tips for stuffing each of the different items.
5. For the stuffed tofu, use a spoon to carefully hollow out a hole in the broad, diagonal face of each tofu chunk. Add the removed tofu to the filling and mix well until it breaks up and is evenly distributed through the filling. Then push balls of filling into the hollows in the tofu pieces, making sure not to leave any air pockets behind the farce.
6. For the stuffed eggplant, it’s recommended to slice slits into the eggplant while cutting it. So the first cut doesn’t go all the way through, then the next cut does and makes a stuffable piece of eggplant, and so on down the length of the eggplant, cutting at a bias if possible.
7. For the stuffed lotus if you’re cutting a whole lotus root, try slicing it the same way as the eggplant. We get ours as frozen slices, so we just make little lotus burgers with a ball of farce, making sure to push the two pieces firmly together, perhaps with a little twist back and forth in order to encourage the farce into the holes in the lotus root in hopes of getting it to grip better.
8. In a pan at a low frying heat, about 325F or so, fry the tofu pieces for about 5 minutes on a side; these pieces don’t need to be battered though it may be done. Battering them makes them harder to handle.
9. To make the batter, in a large mixing bowl, mix all the batter ingredients together well using a pair of chopsticks.
10. Dip each piece of remaining dim sum, the stuffed eggplants and stuffed lotus slices, into the batter and place into the
frying pan for about 5 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pan; it will probably take three batches to get through all the dim sum.
11. When the pieces come out of the pan, let them drain and cool on a rack.
12. Before serving, fry the pieces again at 375F, the highest typical frying temperature, for up to 90 seconds.
13. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce(s).
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Check our our Patreon! patreon.com/loveyourfood
Need a kitchen thermometer? Check out ChefsTemp! Use code LoveYourFood for 15% off a meat thermometer! shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=1003201&m=111859&u=3322095&afftrack=
This recipe presents three different stuffed fried dim sum items. For those who want to make things more complicated, certainly the stuffing could be customized for each one, as could the batter. To keep things simple, we use the same farce (stuffing) in each item, and the same batter. We applied batter to our tofu but that is not strictly necessary.
All of these items come out better and last better on the table if they are double-fried. All of them get their first frying in a pan at a low temperature to ensure all the ingredients are properly cooked, then they cool on a rack. They get fried again at a high temperature for a short time right before serving. The first frying can be done fairly early; after the initial frying the items might even be frozen until needed. The second frying can take place in a deep fryer.
Once they get their second frying, they should be served and enjoyed while warm (but without burning the mouth). Soy sauce, mayonnaise, soy mixed with mayonnaise, pineapple plum sauce, sriracha, and many other dipping sauces may be served along side these items.
Makes about 18 pieces.
Equipment:
2 large mixing bowls
pan for shallow frying
deep frying setup (optional) for second frying
Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu cut into 8 diagonal half-cubes
2 ea Chinese eggplant
6 slices lotus root
1/4 lb pork ground
1/4 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, ground or chopped
1 ea scallion thinly sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp soy
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1/2-2 tsp ginger minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground; or white pepper
1 tsp cornstarch or psyllium husk
Batter:
1 cup AP flour
1 1/3 cup ice water
1 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. In the mixing bowl, mix the minced shrimp, ground pork, sliced scallion, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, 1/4 tsp of salt, pepper (Sichuan or white), and cornstarch or psyllium.
2. Continue mixing the meat filling mixture until it stiffens somewhat. This will help to keep it from coming apart while frying.
3. Let the filling rest for a short time to stiffen further if desired; it might even be made a day ahead.
4. To create the stuffed dim sum, there are some tips for stuffing each of the different items.
5. For the stuffed tofu, use a spoon to carefully hollow out a hole in the broad, diagonal face of each tofu chunk. Add the removed tofu to the filling and mix well until it breaks up and is evenly distributed through the filling. Then push balls of filling into the hollows in the tofu pieces, making sure not to leave any air pockets behind the farce.
6. For the stuffed eggplant, it’s recommended to slice slits into the eggplant while cutting it. So the first cut doesn’t go all the way through, then the next cut does and makes a stuffable piece of eggplant, and so on down the length of the eggplant, cutting at a bias if possible.
7. For the stuffed lotus if you’re cutting a whole lotus root, try slicing it the same way as the eggplant. We get ours as frozen slices, so we just make little lotus burgers with a ball of farce, making sure to push the two pieces firmly together, perhaps with a little twist back and forth in order to encourage the farce into the holes in the lotus root in hopes of getting it to grip better.
8. In a pan at a low frying heat, about 325F or so, fry the tofu pieces for about 5 minutes on a side; these pieces don’t need to be battered though it may be done. Battering them makes them harder to handle.
9. To make the batter, in a large mixing bowl, mix all the batter ingredients together well using a pair of chopsticks.
10. Dip each piece of remaining dim sum, the stuffed eggplants and stuffed lotus slices, into the batter and place into the
frying pan for about 5 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pan; it will probably take three batches to get through all the dim sum.
11. When the pieces come out of the pan, let them drain and cool on a rack.
12. Before serving, fry the pieces again at 375F, the highest typical frying temperature, for up to 90 seconds.
13. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce(s).
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
