Directions

Make the Filling

1. Shred the radish using a vegetable grater. Toss the radish with 1 tsp of salt and let it sit for 20 minutes, giving the salt enough time to draw out some moisture. 

   
2. While waiting, dice the shallot, garlic, the soaked shitake mushrooms, tofu puff, and the lard dregs.
   
3. Squeeze the radish to eliminate the excess liquid and set it aside.
   
4. Heat the wok over high heat until smoking hot. Add pork lard and let it melt. If you don't like animal fat, use vegetable oil instead.
   
5. Add the diced shallot, garlic, shiitake mushroom, sundry baby shrimp, and pork lard dregs. Stir for a few minutes or until fragrant.
   
6. Add the ground pork and stir for a couple of minutes or until the meat changes color.
   
7. Season the filling with white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce, and stir well.
   
8. Add the julienned tofu puff and the shredded radish. Stir well and turn off the heat. Tofu puff is very absorbent. That’s why we are adding it after everything else is infused with the seasonings; otherwise, it will soak up all the sauce.
   
9. Taste the filling to adjust the flavor and set it aside.
   

Make the Dumpling Dough

1. In a bowl, thoroughly combine rice flour and tapioca flour.

   
2. Add the salt to the water and bring it to a boil, then immediately pour it into the flour and stir simultaneously. The water must be as hot as possible to ensure the dough's elasticity.
   
3. Cover the flour and let it cool to lukewarm, then knead it for 5-6 minutes or until a smooth dough forms.
   
4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll each one into a ball. Cover them with plastic film so they don't dry out.
   

Wrap the Dumplings and Steam

1. Flatten a small dough into a round patty. Then roll it with a rolling pin. Left hand holds and rotates the dough. Right hand pushes the rolling pin back and forth. Repeat that until you get a big dumpling wrapper, about 4.5 inches in diameter.

   
2. Put some filling in the middle of the wrapper, about 50 grams. Use your chopsticks to carefully pack it tight.
   
3. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edge to seal the dumpling. Apply that to the rest of the dumplings.
   
4. Cut the banana leaves into rectangles and place them under the dumplings to prevent sticking.
   
5. Pre-boil the water in the pot. Steam the dumplings over high heat for 20 minutes.
   

Make the Dipping Sauce

1. In a heat-proof bowl, add diced cilantro, scallion, garlic, and Thai bird eye chilies.

   

2. Heat 1.5 tbsp of cooking oil to smoking hot then pour it onto the aromatics. Last, add 2.5 tbsp of soy sauce.