Gyoza (Chicken or Beef)

Method

Tap a step when it's done.

1. 1Put the flour and salt in a bowl and pour in the boiling water gradually, stirring with a fork. Once it's cool enough to handle, knead for 5 minutes into a smooth dough, wrap and rest for 30 minutes. (Store-bought gyoza wrappers work too; skip this step if using them.)
2. 2Rub the chopped cabbage with the salt and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands or a cloth. This keeps the filling from getting watery and tearing the wrappers.
3. 3Combine the meat, cabbage, spring onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, cornstarch and pepper. Stir vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes until the mixture turns slightly sticky and holds together.
4. 4Divide the dough in half, roll each into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece on a floured surface into a circle about 8 cm across, keeping the edges a little thinner than the center.
5. 5Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the middle of each wrapper and wet the edge with water. Fold into a half-moon and seal by making 4-5 small pleats along the front edge, making sure no filling escapes.
6. 6Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Arrange half the gyoza flat side down and fry for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
7. 7Carefully pour in 80 ml water (it will spit) and immediately cover with a lid. Steam over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the wrappers look translucent.
8. 8Uncover and cook 1-2 minutes more so the bottoms crisp up again. Repeat with the rest, and serve hot with a dip of soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil.