Get creative with the filling for your pan-fried dumplings with this Napa Cabbage Gyoza recipe. It‘s fun to change up regular green cabbage with napa cabbage that‘s commonly used in Japanese cooking.
Finely chop 1 lb napa cabbage and put it in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and rub the napa cabbage with your hands. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Gather all the ingredients to make the gyoza filling.
In a large bowl, add 1 lb ground pork, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice),and 2 green onions/scallions (minced). Then, add the gyoza seasonings: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 tsp sugar, and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
Knead the mixture with your hand until it gets sticky and pale in color.
Squeeze the water out of the napa cabbage with your hands.
Add the napa cabbage to the meat mixture and mix it all together.
To Wrap the Gyoza and Store
Fold the filling into 54 gyoza wrappers. If you have never made it before, please see my tutorial on how to fold gyoza. While you fold, the gyoza wrappers will become dry, so keep the wrappers under a damp towel or plastic. You also need to cover the finished gyoza with plastic. If you don‘t cook all the gyoza, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic and flash-freeze until the gyoza becomes solid, for about an hour. Then, transfer the frozen gyoza to a resealable bag to store in the freezer.
To Cook the Gyoza
Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil per batch. Then, arrange the first batch of gyoza in a circular pattern around the pan. If you place gyoza tightly together, the individual pieces won’t fall off when you flip them onto a serving plate.
When the bottom of the gyoza becomes a nice golden color, add ¼ cup water and cover with the lid. Let the gyoza steam until most of the water evaporates.
When the water has evaporated, remove the lid to let any remaining water evaporate. Drizzle 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil around the edge of the pan and cook uncovered until the bottom of the gyoza gets crispy again. The gyoza skin may look get stuck at first (from the moisture) but once the water evaporates and the oil cooks the skin, the gyoza will release itself.
Place a serving plate on top of the gyoza and quickly flip the dumplings over onto the plate. Serve immediately. Repeat with any remaining batches you plan to cook.
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I recommend cooking gyoza right before you enjoy, therefore, try to cook the amount you will be eating and keep the uncooked gyoza frozen.
What to Do with Leftover Filling
You can make quick meatballs with the leftover filling and pan-fry them.