HOW TO COOK THEM

Straight from the freezer into the heat — thawed dumplings go soggy and split. Three ways, all of them under fifteen minutes.

STEAMED

8 min

Line the basket with baking paper or cabbage leaves so nothing sticks.

Space them a finger apart — they swell.

Cover, full steam, eight minutes from frozen. Don't peek before six.

PAN-FRIED

10 min

Medium-high oil, flat side down, until the bottoms are properly brown.

Add a quarter cup of water and clamp the lid on immediately.

When the water's gone, uncover and crisp the base again for a minute.

BOILED

6 min

Rolling salted water, drop them in, stir once so they don't settle.

They're done about a minute after they float.

Lift with a slotted spoon — a colander tears the wrappers.

Baji's rules

FOUR THINGS THAT MATTER

Cook from frozen, always. This is the whole trick.

Crowding the pan steams what you meant to fry. Two batches beats one sad one.

Stir the chilli oil from the bottom — the good part sinks.

Leftover cooked dumplings are best sliced and fried the next morning with an egg.