Are you looking for the ultimate date activity for Valentine's Day? Or, are you wanting to show yourself some love? Why don't you try making these Chinese-style heart shaped dumplings?! They're super cute and taste great too!

About This Recipe
I’ve always thought that the process of creating dumplings is a wonderful activity for family, friends, partners, or for the individual. I used to make them with friends at University all the time. But, I'd also make them alone as a way of relaxing and de-stressing! I'd spend the whole afternoon going to the shops, buying the ingredients, and then slowly constructing the gorgeous dumplings (and then of course I'd devour them!!). So, I thought these Chinese-style heart shaped dumplings would be a loving recipe to share with you.
Although the recipe and ingredients for these dumplings are my own, the heart shape was an inspired find! I first saw this enticing dumpling fold by Kristina Cho, who goes by the name of Eat Cho Food. I couldn’t take my eyes off the way she delicately wrapped the dumpling!
The 3-Ingredient Dough
For these cute dumplings, the dough only requires three ingredients: plain flour, warm water, and red food colouring.
For the food colouring, you can use a variety of natural products. Some of the most popular include beetroot juice, beetroot powder, or pomegranate juice. If you want to push the boat out and make your own food colouring from scratch, you could boil up some cranberries in a pint of water and then strain them. This will leave you with a glowing red/burgundy dye.
Filling The Heart Shaped Dumplings
The dumpling filling is simple but doesn’t compromise on flavour. To cater for all foodies, I’ve provided a recipe for meat-eaters and a recipe for vegans!
For the pork filling, combine pork mince, spring onions, cabbage, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, & pepper. Adding a little bit of cornstarch velvets the mixture (tenderising the meat), and combines the ingredients into a paste.
For the vegan filling, combine spring onions, cabbage, mushrooms, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. You want to make sure you’ve drained all the vegetables of any water! Then add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper and a dash of cornstarch (or plain flour) to thicken up the mixture.
As I mentioned earlier, the heart folding method for these dumplings was created by Kristina Cho, a dumpling-folding Queen!
Place the filling a heart shape in the centre of the wrapper. Where the two crescents of the heart meet, pinch the wrapper inwards. Then, at equal distance either side at the tip of the two crescents, pinch again but this time pinch outwards.
Begin on the right hand crescent pinch. Get the pinch and push into the crescent towards the filling, then pleat the wrapper around the pinch and seal, tucking in each pinch as it goes. It may take you a few times to practice, but just keep going!
Once you've done one side, repeat the previous process for the other crescent. Where they meet at the tip of the two crescents, pinch together and then tuck and fold all the way down to the bottom of the heart. If you're struggling, check out my Instagram "dumpling" highlights where you'll find a slower version of how to pleat these dumplings!
The Ultimate Dipping Sauce
Ahhh the dipping sauce, possibly the best thing about dumpling recipes! This one is super simple, with only 4 ingredients.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon laoganma crispy chilli oil (if you’ve never tried this, you must!)
The end result is a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce.
Cooking & Serving
Place the dumplings in a metal or bamboo steamer. Cook them for around 5 to 6 minutes. Remove them from the steamer and plate them up. Drizzle over the sauce and enjoy!
Want More Dumpling Recipes?
Check Out My Dumpling World Tour Series
I've set myself a challenge to go around the world in 80 dumplings. Why? Because so many countries share a love for dumplings and every country’s dumplings have their own unique twist. From Vareneki in Ukraine to Banh Bot Loc in Vietnam, dumplings are a way for us to celebrate various cultures and culinary differences from all parts of the globe.
Not all my dumpling recipes are up on my website, yet! So, if you’d like to check them out, head on over to my Instagram for the video tutorial and full recipe!
Heart Shaped Dumplings
Ingredients
For The Doug
- 150g Plain flour
- 90ml Warm water
- 1 tsp Red food colouring
Vegan Filling
- 1 Spring onion, finely chopped
- 30g White cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger, minced
- 3 Mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Sesame oil
- Pinch Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Pork Filling
- 150g Pork mince
- 1 Spring onion, finely chopped
- 20g Cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Sesame oil
- ½ tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Pepper
- Pinch Salt
- ½ tbsp Cornstarch
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Laoganma chilli oil
Instructions
For The Dough
- In a bowl, combine the flour, water, and food dye with chopsticks. Mix in a clockwise motion. Add more water if the dough is too dry. On a floured surface, knead the dough until elastic (around 5 minutes). Set aside in cling film.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a sausage, and cut into around 8 equal parts (about 1 inch long sections). Flatten the pieces of dough and roll into circular wrappers (around 3 inches in diameter). Cover the wrappers to avoid them drying out.
For The Vegan Filling
- Combine all of the vegetables in a bowl and add salt. Mix and then strain to remove any excess water.
- Place back into a dry bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. You want to have a smooth mixture.
For The Pork Filling
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Mix until a smooth and sticky paste has formed.
Making The Dumpling
- Place a teaspoon of the filling into the centre of the wrapper in a heart shape. Pinch at each tip of the heart crescents outwards and pinch where the crescents meet in the centre of the heart, inwards. Start on one crescent, grab the pinch and fold down the centre of the crescent. Pinch the wrapper, fold, tuck, and seal. Repeat this process!
- Once you've done one crescent, begin the other side. When the two sides meet in the middle, pinch them together and then carry on down the heart to the bottom.
- If you're struggling, check out my Instagram "dumpling" highlights where you'll find a slower version of how to pleat these dumplings!
Cooking The Dumplings
- Place the dumplings in a steamer and cook for 6 minutes.
Making The Sauce
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Serve Up!
- Once the dumplings are cooked, serve them up on a plate and drizzle over the tangy sauce! Enjoy 🙂
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