Dim Sum Platter — Print Recipe

A Cantonese tradition of small steamed, fried, and baked dishes served with tea in a communal dining experience. From delicate har gow to fluffy char siu bao, dim sum is the art of small bites perfected.

Ingredients

300g shrimp, peeled and deveined
200g wheat starch for har gow wrappers
200g tapioca starch
300ml boiling water
200g all-purpose flour for bao dough
7g instant yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
150ml warm water
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1 Prepare the har gow filling by mixing minced shrimp with sesame oil, white pepper, salt, and green onions, then chilling the mixture for thirty minutes until firm.
2 Make the translucent dumpling wrappers by mixing wheat starch and tapioca starch with boiling water, kneading until smooth, and rolling into thin circles.
3 Fill each wrapper with a tablespoon of shrimp filling, pleat the edges to create the signature fan shape, and place them on oiled parchment in a bamboo steamer.
4 Prepare the bao dough by mixing flour, yeast, sugar, and warm water, kneading for ten minutes until elastic, then letting it rise for one hour until doubled in size.
5 Steam the har gow for eight minutes until the wrappers turn translucent, and steam the filled bao for twelve minutes until puffy and snow white, then serve everything together on a platter with soy dipping sauce.

Did You Know?

The phrase yum cha meaning drink tea is synonymous with eating dim sum in Cantonese culture, and traditional dim sum restaurants employ servers who push carts through the dining room shouting out their offerings.