Instructions: Place the wheat starch in a medium mixing bowl; pour in the boiling water, stirring with fork or chopsticks until the mixture forms a dough. It is very important that the water is boiling.

Once the dough has cooled enough to handle, place it on a work surface and make a slight dent in the center. Add the vegetable oil or shortening into the center. Knead until the oil is incorporated and the dough feels satiny and has a shiny appearance.

For the Filling: Pat the shrimp and bamboo shoots with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, bamboo shoots, cilantro, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, sugar and white pepper; mix well.

For the Dipping Sauce: Combine the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, black vinegar, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl; stir until the sugar is dissolved.

For the Dumpling

Preparation: Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a 10-inch cylinder. Cut each cylinder crosswise into ten 1-inch pieces, using your hands to roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a damp towel while forming each dumpling.

Using a rolling pin or tortilla press, roll each piece of dough into a 3-inch circle. With your fingers, make the edges of the circle slightly thinner. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of the circle; bring the edges together to form a half-circle. Pinch to seal. Place the dumpling on a 9-inch glass pie plate and cover with a damp paper towel while preparing the remaining dumplings. Space the dumplings so they are not touching.

Prepare a wok for steaming. Place the glass pie plate with dumplings into the steamer, cover and steam over medium-high heat until filling is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Serve dumplings the directly from the steamer with the dipping sauce on the side.

This recipe yields 5 servings.

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