Chinese New Year

Family is the basis of the Chinese society,  this is seen through the significance placed on the New Year’s Eve dinner or reunion dinner. This feast is extremely important to the Chinese. All family members must come back. Even if they truly can’t, the rest of the family will leave their spot empty and place a spare set of utensils for them. 

F00d is one of the things that the Chinese take the most pride in. And of course, lot of care and thought is put into the menu for the most important holiday of the year. As with Chinese New Year activities and decorations, the dishes are created to give blessings for the next year. Both the names and looks are symbols of wishes for prosperity, happiness and fortune.   Each region may have a different customs but there are some common dishes seen on every table. Such as springs rolls, dumplings,  and noodles.  

 

Check out this easy Chinese Chicken Dumpling:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbl rice vinegar 

1 tbl chives, chopped

1 tbl sesame seeds

1 tbl chile-garlic sauce

1 pound chicken 

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

50 dumpling wrappers

1 cup canola oil for frying

1 quart water, or more as needed

 

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon chives, sesame seeds, and chile sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix chicken, garlic, egg, 2 tablespoons chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Place a dumpling wrapper on a lightly floured work surface and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Wet the edge with a little water and crimp together forming small pleats to seal the dumpling. Repeat with remaining dumpling wrappers and filling.
3. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 8 to 10 dumplings in the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Pour in 1 cup of water, cover and cook until the dumplings are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Repeat for remaining dumplings. Serve with soy sauce mixture for dipping.