Ever since I’ve had to go gluten free, I’ve relentlessly scoured shops, the internet and Chinese supermarkets with the faint hope of just maybeΒ one day finding a gluten free alternative to egg roll/wonton/fried spring roll wrappers… but seeing as that day still hasn’t come, the next best thing for quick (relatively speaking!) gluten free dumplings remains rice wrappers!
No, they don’t taste the same, but they’re naturally gluten free and actually not bad at all for dumplings. Sure we could make our own dumpling dough (likeΒ this recipe), but it’s messy and it takes time. To be honest, unless it’s a special occasion, just the thought of having to faff about with flour is often off puttingΒ even when recipes are not that time consuming. So that’s when the convenience of rice wrappers comes in handy. π
———-
UPDATE (14.03.21): I NOW HAVE TWO RECIPES FOR DUMPLING WRAPPERS. π
This is a very old post and I’ve learnt so much since then. I now have two recipes for homemade dumplings wrappers:
———-
They’re sold in most supermarkets, but if you have a Chinese/Asian supermarket nearby, have a look there first as you’ll most likely find cheaper options there.
As for cooking,Β I personally use a bamboo steamer which I bought in my local Chinese supermarket, but any steamer will do.
On to the recipe:
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 500g minced pork
- prawns (to taste)
- 2 spring onions
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Ayam GF thick soy sauce)
- 2-3 Tbsp sherry
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the dumpling:
- Rice wraps (I used Blue Dragon Spring Roll Wrappers)
Prepare the filling:
- Finely chop the spring onions and prawns.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Make the dumplings:
- Heat some water in a pan or kettle until warm, but not boiling. I tend to use a sautΓ©e pan/skillet as it’s wide enough to comfortably dip the rice wraps in and for the bamboo steamer to fit in later on.
- Dip a rice wrap in the water for a few seconds and then hold it up briefly as it softens up, gently shaking off the excess water. You don’t want the wrap to be soaking wet or it will not stick together properly so hold it up until it becomes somewhat dry and sticky.
- Lay it flat on a plate and add a tablespoon of the filling in the centre.
- Fold both sides to wrap over the filling and then pinch and squeeze the top and bottom flaps together to close it off.
- To make the dumplings stronger, use two rice wraps per dumpling. I strongly recommend to do that as some of my single wrapped dumplings leaked a little.
Cook the dumplings:
- Cover each layer ofΒ the bamboo steamer with parchment paper so that the dumplings are not touching it directly. This will ensure that the bamboo steamer doesn’t retain the flavour and smell of the food.
- Put the bamboo steamer in a sautΓ©e pan/skillet with about an inch of water (or enough so that it doesn’t reach the first layer of the bamboo steamer. Also make sure that the pan is at least a bit larger so that the the bamboo steamer doesn’t touch the side of the pan (to prevent burning!).
- Add the dumplings in the bamboo steamer, spacing them outΒ to prevent them sticking together, and put the lid on.
- Turn the heat to medium/high and cook for about 20 minutes.
I had mine with some tamari and sriracha. :p
Enjoy!
–
How to Make Gluten Free Dumpling Wrappers
EXCELLENT Post.thanks for share..more wait.
Good day Kimi. Will refrigerating the leftover dumplings dry out the rice wrappers? Also, can these be reheated the next day in the microwave?
Hey! I’m not sure. We always eat ours freshly cooked so I’ve never actually tried keeping leftovers in the fridge or microwaving them. To be honest as cooked rice/rice products don’t keep too well and can go a bit ‘funny’, I usually try to avoid it. Sorry I’m not being very helpful, hehe, I’ll have to give it a try next time! π
I think it looks delicious and yummy ….
What size of rice wraps? Our Asian store has more than one size. Thanks .