Instructions: Make the filling: Blanch the cabbage in a pot of boiling water just to soften, drain well. Squeeze the water out between paper towels.

Combine the cabbage with the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl. Beat and knead until the mixture is soft and clingy. Chill in the refrigerator.

Make the dough: Sift the flour into a stainless-steel bowl. Add the boiling water gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon until a fairly thick, soft dough forms. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough to a floured work surface, and knead for another minute or 2 until the dough is smooth and pliable. Divide mixture in half.

Roll each piece of dough into a 3/4- by 5-inch sausage. Cut each sausage into about 10 pieces. Press each piece into a circle with the palm of the hand and roll into 3-inch rounds.

Make the dumplings: Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling into each round, close the edges together, pleating the side farthest away and seal together. (The dumpling is slightly curved because of the stretching of one side.)

Place the dumplings into a bamboo steamer and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Place the dumplings into a thick-based skillet. Add enough peanut oil to cover one-third of the dumplings. Raise the heat and fry the dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms become crispy and lightly browned.

Sprinkle a little water into the pan to create a little steam, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to prevent burning the bottoms of the dumplings. Shake the pan a little from time to time and continue to pan-fry and steam for another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

This recipe yields about 10 dumplings.

Comments: Records show that these dumplings were made more than four centuries ago. They are still a favorite in Shanghai and Beijing (Peking), where hundreds of specialty stalls make nothing else in order to satisfy the appetites of the locals. The dough, made from wheat flour, is rather heavier than that of the South where rice flour is often used, and the technique of frying first, then steaming in chicken broth (stock) makes them a very substantial snack. They should be eaten with a dip of vinegar and shredded fresh ginger. Sometimes these dumplings are called "pot stickers" because the base of the dumpling is crisped and browned in oil before steaming.

Yield: 10 dumplings

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