Chayote Dumplings
Hi Foodies! How are you doing today? Ready for the weekend?
Today I’m sharing my Chayotte Dumplings recipe, another Mauritian classic. Dumplings are part of Asian cuisine. I wasn’t a fan of them until a few years ago, more specifically, on a trip to China when I had them at a Hot Pot Restaurant in Shenzhen.
After that, I started to indulge into them, especially when I started working in Port-Louis.
Mom and I started experimenting with making our own dumplings for 4 years, whenever we had extra chayotes. Sometimes we’d get it right and the next time, they were not that great. Now we perfected our recipe to make dumplings using very minimal cornflour. We use just enough so the dumplings don’t break.
We like to have dumplings with soup and we also serve it with a spicy dipping sauce that is super simple to make. That’s how we used to have dumplings in Shenzhen, it gives them that extra kick. I love spicy food in winter. It warms me up.
When it’s time to cook our dumplings, we line our steamer with a banana leaf and while they cook, the flavours from the banana leaf will be absorbed by the dumplings, giving them a distinct taste.
Ingredients for the dumplings
- 2 and ½ cups grated chayotte
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped spring onions
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ½ tablespoon grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chillis
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 tablespoon mushroom vegetarian oyster sauce
- T tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
- Salt according to taste
Ingredients for the sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped green chillis
- Salt to taste
If you do not like spicy dumplings, you can use white or black pepper instead of chilli.
Preparation
- In a bowl, add the grated chayote and a bit of salt. Mix and keep aside for 15 minutes,
- Place the mixture in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the water
- Next, put the chayote back to the bowl and add all the other ingredients. (Keep some spring onions aside for garnish) Mix well.
- Form small balls with the mixture.
- We’re going to steam cook the chayotte dumplings. Line your recipient with a banana leaf and place it over a double boiler. Place your dumplings on them, cover with the lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. If you have a steamer, cook for 15 to 20 minutes as per the instructions.
- Mix all your ingredients for the sauce.
- Serve by sprinkling some green onions over the dumplings