Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

1 . Stage

Drain the tofu: Tofu usually comes in 16-ounce blocks. You will use half of it. Reserve the other half in the fridge for another use. Place the tofu on a cheese cloth or flour sack towel. Loosely break it up into small pieces using your fingers. Wrap the cloth or towel around the tofu tightly and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Leave the tofu in the cloth and set it in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes to make sure it’s drained well.

2 . Stage

Make the filling: In a large bowl, add the tofu, pork, beef, buchu, onions, garlic, ginger, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Stir until combined well.

3 . Stage

Prepare to assemble the Mandu: Sprinkle a large tray or sheet pan with a little flour. This will prevent the Mandu from sticking. Fill a small bowl with water, which will be used to seal the Mandu wrapper.

4 . Stage

Fill the Mandu: Place a Mandu wrapper on the palm of your non-dominant hand. Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. You should be left with about a 1/2-inch perimeter.

5 . Stage

Seal the Mandu: Dip a finger in the water and wet the edges of the wrapper. You may have to dip your finger into the water a couple of times. For simple half-moon shaped Mandu, fold the wrapper in half over the filling and firmly seal the edges by pinching them together with your fingers. Alternately, gently fold the wrapper in half over the filling. Use your index finger and thumb to create pleats on the edge of the top half, pressing them down to seal the top and bottom edges together. You’ll get 5 to 7 pleats and the Mandu will curve a bit as you do this. This may take some practice, but you’ll get better at it. No matter how your dumplings look, they will taste amazing! Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

6 . Stage

Cook the Mandu: To pan fry the Mandu , heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and as many Mandu as you can fit without overlapping. You will have to cook them in batches. Cook them for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip them, carefully add a splash of water to the pan, and cover it immediately with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook them for about 4 minutes. The steam will help the Mandu cook through but cut one in half to make sure.

7 . Stage

Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and gochugaru. Serve alongside the Mandu for dipping. Did you love this recipe? Give us some stars below!