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Learn how to make these bouncy yet juicy Cantonese pork and shrimp shu mai. You too, can make really good shu mai in your very own kitchen!
Shu mai (also spelled siu mai) is one of the most iconic dim sum dishes, known for its open-top design and juicy, flavorful filling. This guide covers everything you need to know to make perfect shu mai at home, from achieving a tender filling to wrapping, steaming, and freezing.
What is Shu mai or siu mai ?
Siu 燒 means to cook and mai 賣 means to sell. The direct English translation is called “cook and sell” dumplings. Like I’ve mentioned before, the Chinese like to name the dishes that convey good messages/meanings. To be able to “siu mai” is a good thing. It means your business is running smoothly, you cook and it is sold immediately. Make sense? 😉
Don’t be mistaken with the Japanese gyoza, which is also a dumpling, but gyoza is more similar to the Chinese jiao zi, where as siu mai uses different wrapper, usually way thinner compared to jiao zi and the filling is slightly different too.
Cantonese siu mai usually filled with minced pork, shrimp, mushrooms and seasoned with Asian seasonings and then wrapped in round siu mai wrappers.
Pork and Shrimp Shu Mai (Siu Mai)
Ingredients
- 1 pack round dumpling wrapper
Filling:
- 21 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 450 g ground pork About 70-80 % lean for juicy filling
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 224 g shrimp shelled,deveined and finely chopped
- 40 g water chestnut I used canned water chestnut
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro finely minced
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
For garnishing (use either one, optional):
- grated carrots
- Flying fish roe (Tobiko)
Serve with:
Recommended Cooking Equipment:
- Steamer
- Instant Pot
- Bamboo Basket
Instructions
- I use a thin round dumpling wrappers that are about 3 1/2-inch in diameter. You can use yellow or white dumpling wrappers
Prepare the filling:
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes until they are soft. Removed stems and finely chopped
- Finely chop the water chestnuts, and fresh cilantro
- Roughly chop the shrimp into about 1/4-inch pieces
- Put the ground pork, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl and start squeezing it with your hands. Add the chopped shrimp, cilantro leaves, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and the rest of the seasonings. Stir with a chopstick or a wooden spoon vigorously in one direction until you form a paste-like consistency.
- You can cover and keep this filling in the fridge if not using immediately. It can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days
Taste test the filling:
- Cook a small amount of the filling in the microwave or boil in some water so you can test the filling if you need to add more seasonings or not before you wrap
Wrapping:
- Line a large baking pan with parchment paper
- Place one wrapper on a work surface. Brush the edge with water.
- Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on the center.
- Loosely gather up the sides of the dumpling at the "waist" with your thumb and index finger while trying to form some "pleats" at the same time and the rest of the fingers support the base of the dumpling
- Give the waist a bit of a squeeze
- Use a butter knife or the back of a spoon to pack down the filling and smooth the top. Making sure the filling is tight so there won't be any "empty" spots inside the dumplings
- Place on the prepared baking pan and lightly press the bottom of the dumpling against the pan to flatten so it sits upright. Covered with damp towel while you continue wrapping the rest to prevent the wrappers from drying out
Steaming with a bamboo basket:
- Get your steamer ready by bringing the water to a boil over medium heat. Place a piece of round parchment paper that will fit inside your steaming basket. I use a pencil to poke about 20 something small holes to allow the dumplings to steam evenly. Lightly grease the parchment paper to prevent sticking
- Arrange about 10-12 dumplings (depending on the size of your steaming basket) in the bamboo steamer basket
- Steam over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through
Using steamer without bamboo basket:
- Fill up a large pot/wok that has a lid. Place a trivet inside and fill the pot/wok with water (not higher than the trivet that you use) and bring them to a rolling boil.
- Arrange dumplings on top of the plate that has been lightly greased, about 1/2-inch apart. Top with some carrots if you are using them. Carefully lower it inside the steamer and steam for 10 minutes. You can only steam one plate at a time. Serve immediately once cooked
Using Instant Pot:
- Place the steaming basket/plate in instant pot. Press high pressure and set the timer to 3 minutes. If your instant pot can fit in another stack of a bamboo basket, you may do so. Once the 3 minutes is up, release pressure and open the lid carefully. Serve immediately once cooked
To serve:
- Just right before serving, garnish the shu mai with some fish roe on top if you choose to use and serve immediately when they are still warm with some chili oil on the side
- You can read more details on ingredients, substitutions, variations, and other tips in my post that may answer your questions not covered in the recipe card
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
That juicy filling
The key to delicious shu mai is a tender, juicy filling with a slightly bouncy texture. Here’s how to achieve that:
1. Choose the right Meat: I recommend using pork with about 20-30% fat
2. I recommend adding shrimp: I love shu mai which uses a combination of pork and shrimp. It makes the filling even tastier
3. Mixing for texture: Squeeze the pork when you mix it with the cornstarch and sesame oil. This step helps to tenderize the meat. Stir the filling in one direction until it becomes sticky. This helps develop elasticity, giving the dumplings a slight chew and bouncy texture
4. Use cornstarch or tapioca Starch: Adding a small amount of cornstarch or tapioca starch helps bind everything together and retains moisture.
How to Wrap Shu Mai
Unlike pleated dumplings, shu mai is simpler to wrap:
1. Use thin wrappers: Look for thin round-shape yellow or white dumpling wrappers labeled for shu mai or wonton wrappers.
2. Shaping: Brush the edge of the wrapper with water. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Gather the edges around the filling on the “waist”
3. Flatten the Base: Lightly press the bottom on a flat surface so the dumpling stands upright.
4. Garnish: Traditionally, a small piece of diced carrot, a pea, or tobiko (fish roe) is placed on top for presentation.
Tips for the Best Shu Mai
1. Use fresh ingredients: Fresh shrimp and quality pork make a big difference in flavor.
2. Test the filling: Cook a small piece of filling before wrapping to adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Avoid oversteaming: Overcooking can make the wrappers too soft and gummy.
How to Freeze Shu Mai
1. Freeze Before Steaming: Place assembled shu mai on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure they don’t touch.
2. Flash Freeze: Freeze for 1-2 hours until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
3. Steaming from Frozen: Steam frozen shu mai without thawing and just add about 5 minutes of extra time
13 comments
Your recipe is really good & easy to follow. Thank you very much. Do I still set the instant pot timer to 2 minutes for frozen sui mai? Do I have to defrost the sui mai before steaming in the instant pot?
Hi Mary, I’m glad you like, you don’t need to thaw, I would probably add another 5 minutes.