Peking Ravioli or pan-fried dumplings are a delicious cross between Asian and American cuisine. These irresistible potstickers are nothing like the Italian pasta dish that shares its name. It was called ‘ravioli’ as a clever marketing trick to attract Italian-American customers.
Made with ground pork and seasoned with scallions and ginger, these dumplings are the perfect appetizer and couldn’t be easier to make at home.
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What Is Peking Ravioli?
Sometimes called Beijing Ravioli, Peking Ravioli is very similar to regular Chinese dumplings or potstickers. It’s created in a Boston restaurant by celebrated Chinese chef, Joyce Chen. Flavorful ground pork is placed inside a square of dough and steamed. For the finishing touch, each dumpling is lightly pan-seared, giving it a slightly crispy exterior.
What Is the Difference Between Dumpling and Ravioli?
Strictly speaking, ravioli is half round-shaped Italian pasta, usually filled with meat or cheese. Chinese dumplings are round wrappers filled with meat, vegetables and other fillings. Peking Ravioli is a clever, made-up name that references the similarities between the two dishes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dumpling Wrappers
- Ground Pork
- Fresh Ginger
- Green Onions
- Egg
- Soy Sauce
- Sherry
- Cornstarch
- Asian Sesame Oil
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
How to Make Peking Ravioli
1. In a mixing bowl, add the ground pork, ginger, green onion, egg, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sesame oil and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
2. On a floured work surface, lay out one wrapper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork filling into the center of the wrapper. Then rub water along the edges of the wrapper and bring them together. Pinch with your fingertips along the edge to seal tightly with pleats. Repeat the previous step for the rest of the wrappers and filling.
3. Place the steamer over medium-high heat and add a quart of water to the pan. Once the water is boiling, add the ravioli. Cover and steam until cooked through, about for 7 to 10 minutes, cooking in batches if needed.
4. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Carefully place the ravioli in the pan using kitchen tongs or chopsticks, taking care to avoid crowding the pan.
5. Fry until golden and slightly crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
6. Repeat for the remaining dumplings, frying in batches. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips for Making Peking Ravioli
- Use Quality Ground Pork: For the best flavor, you need to get quality pork that was ground the same day. Better yet, ask your meat counter to grind it fresh in front of you!
- Use Parchment Paper to Prevent Sticking: Peking ravioli will stick to your steamer unless you use parchment paper.
- Cover the Wrappers: Some ravioli will have to wait while a previous batch is finishing. Be sure to cover them with a damp towel to prevent the dough from tearing later on.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan: For crisp and golden dumplings, make sure there’s a good inch or so of space between dumplings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between Peking Ravioli and Gyoza?
Gyoza is a Japanese appetizer that is pretty similar to Chinese dumplings in appearance. The major differences are that gyozas are made with a much thinner wrapper and tend to be smaller than Chinese dumplings. Chinese dumplings such as Peking Ravioli are usually seasoned with ginger and scallion with Japanese gyozas tend to have a strong garlic flavor.
How Many Calories Are in Peking Ravioli?
Two of these dumplings have about 140 calories. They’re a pretty addictive appetizer, so be mindful of those calories adding up.
What Goes with Peking Ravioli?
Peking ravioli makes a delicious appetizer for any Asian-inspired meal or at dim sum. Enjoy these tasty dumplings as a precursor to chow mien, fried rice, Peking duck and other Chinese dishes.
What is the Best Dipping Sauce to Serve with Peking Ravioli?
Authentic Peking Ravioli is served with a sweet, spicy, savory dipping sauce with lots of umami flavor. Combine soy sauce, honey or sugar, rice vinegar and chili flakes for a quick and easy sauce.
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Peking Ravioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 dumpling wrappers (store-bought or make your own – see note)
Filling
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced or finely grated
- 4 green onions chopped fine
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sherry or cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Frying
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or similar
Instructions
- Arrange your steaming setup. Cut a piece of parchment to fit the inner circumference of your steamer basket. Set aside.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, add the ground pork, ginger, green onion, egg, soy sauce, sherry/vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
- On a floured work surface, lay out one wrapper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork filling into the center of the wrapper. Then rub water along the edges of the wrapper and bring them together. Pinch with your fingertips along the edge to seal tightly with pleats.
- Repeat the previous step to make enough peking ravioli to fill the steamer basket.
- In a large skillet add a quart of water to the pan over medium heat. Once the water is boiling, place the steamer on top and add dumplings into the steamer in one single layer. Cover and steam until cooked through, about for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the steamer basket from the heat and lift the parchment paper to transfer the ravioli to a plate to cool.
- Repeat the previous few steps to use up the remaining filling and wrappers, cooking in batches.
- Once the dumplings have had a chance to cool down, it’s time to make them into potstickers. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once hot, Carefully place the ravioli in the pan using kitchen tongs or chopsticks, taking care to avoid crowding the pan.
- Fry until golden and slightly crispy, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat for the remaining dumplings, frying in batches. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Peking Ravioli Dough: If you want to make your own wrappers, proceed as follows:
- Add 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and a pinch of table salt to a medium bowl.
- Stir in 2/3 cup boiling water vigorously, mixing with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in 1/3 cup ice water and mix vigorously again until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth.
- Cut the dough in half and roll into a snake abut 1 ½ inch wide.
- Cut into 1 ½ inch long pieces and roll each one out to about 4-inches wide and about 1/8-inch thickness.
- Freezing Peking Ravioli: You can freeze uncooked ravioli for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag with each one separated by a layer of parchment to prevent sticking. You do not need to thaw frozen ravioli before steaming.
- To save time, you can use a double steamer basket to allow twice as many dumplings to steam at once.
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