Hamamatsu Gyoza (Hamamatsu Gyōza)
浜松餃子 Hamamatsu gyōzaSay it: hah-mah-MAH-tsoo GYOH-zah
Hamamatsu gyoza is the local style of pan-fried dumplings from Hamamatsu, a city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The filling is juicy ground pork, Napa cabbage, garlic chives, ginger and garlic, wrapped in thin skins and fried until the bottoms are deeply golden and crisp. What sets it apart is the presentation: the dumplings are arranged in a circle on the plate, with a generous pile of lightly boiled bean sprouts in the center. The bean sprouts add a clean, crunchy contrast to the rich dumplings, and the dish is usually dipped in a soy-vinegar-chili sauce.
Hamamatsu Gyoza (Hamamatsu Gyōza)
浜松餃子, Hamamatsu gyōza
Pronounced hah-mah-MAH-tsoo GYOH-zah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, soy, sesame. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the filling
For assembly and cooking
For serving
Method
Blanch the bean sprouts. bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the bean sprouts and cook for 30–45 seconds until just tender but still crunchy. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
Make the filling. in a large bowl, combine the pork, cabbage, garlic chives, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and potato starch. Mix vigorously with your hand or a wooden spoon in one direction for 1–2 minutes, until the mixture is sticky and cohesive.
Fill the wrappers. place a gyoza wrapper on your palm, put about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center, moisten the edge with water, fold in half, and pinch or pleat to seal. Set the finished dumplings on a tray dusted with a little potato starch. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
Pan-fry the first batch. heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange half of the dumplings in a circle around the edge of the skillet, flat sides down, leaving the center empty. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.
Steam and crisp. carefully add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, cover immediately, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the filling is cooked through. Uncover and cook for another minute to re-crisp the bottoms.
Plate the first ring. carefully transfer the dumplings to a large serving plate, keeping the circular arrangement. Place half of the blanched bean sprouts in the center. Repeat steps 4–5 with the remaining oil, dumplings, and water, then add the remaining bean sprouts to the center.
Make the dipping sauce. stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil in a small bowl.
Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, encouraging everyone to take dumplings and a few bean sprouts.
Regional variants
Standard gyoza uses the same filling but is plated in rows without the bean sprout center. Some Hamamatsu cooks add a spoonful of miso or extra garlic chives to the pork mixture.
Cook's notes
- Do not overfill the wrappers; about 1 teaspoon per dumpling prevents splitting and makes pleating easier.
- Mix the filling in one direction until it becomes slightly sticky, which gives the cooked gyoza a springy, juicy texture.
- For a lighter filling, squeeze the chopped cabbage in a clean towel to remove excess water before mixing.
Serve with
Serve with steamed rice, a small bowl of miso soup, and ice-cold Japanese beer or green tea.
Make ahead and storage
Freeze uncooked dumplings in a single layer, then store in a zip-top bag up to 1 month; cook from frozen, adding 2 extra minutes of steaming. Refrigerate cooked gyoza up to 2 days and reheat in a dry skillet to restore crisp bottoms.
