My Adventure into Healthy Dim Sum
You know, I love dim sum. Really, who doesn’t? But sometimes, all that oil and whatever else they put in it can feel a bit heavy. So, the other day, I thought, “Why not try making my own, but a healthier version?” And that’s exactly what I did. Let me tell you how it went.
First things first, I had to figure out what “healthy” meant for dim sum. For me, it was about lean protein, lots of veggies, and maybe less salt and definitely less grease. So, I went to the store. My shopping list looked something like this:
- Ground chicken breast – nice and lean.
- Shrimp – peeled and deveined, gonna chop these up.
- A whole bunch of veggies: cabbage, carrots, mushrooms (shiitake are great), green onions, ginger, garlic. The more, the merrier, I figured.
- Soy sauce (low sodium, of course), a bit of sesame oil (just a touch for flavor, not swimming in it).
- Wonton wrappers. I looked for whole wheat ones, couldn’t find any easily, so just got the regular thin ones. Next time, I might even try making my own. That’s a project for another day though.
Back in the kitchen, it was time to get to work. Prepping the filling was the main event. I washed and chopped all those vegetables. The cabbage, I chopped it really fine. Carrots, grated them. Mushrooms, minced. Ginger and garlic, you know the drill, minced up super small. It took a while, not gonna lie, my chopping skills got a real workout.
Then, I mixed everything in a big bowl. The ground chicken, the chopped shrimp, all those veggies. Added a splash of the low-sodium soy sauce, a tiny bit of sesame oil, some white pepper. I didn’t measure much, just went by taste and smell, like my grandma used to. Gave it a good mix with my hands – best way to do it, really.
Next up: the wrapping. This is where patience comes in. I set up a little assembly line: bowl of filling, stack of wrappers, a small bowl of water to seal the edges. I’m no expert wrapper, my first few looked a bit… unique. But I got the hang of it. Spoon a bit of filling in, wet the edges, fold, and pinch. Some I made into little purses, others more like half-moons. They don’t need to be perfect, they just need to hold together!
Once I had a good batch wrapped, it was cooking time. I decided steaming was the way to go for maximum healthiness. I got out my trusty bamboo steamer, lined it with some cabbage leaves so the dumplings wouldn’t stick. You can use parchment paper with holes too. Filled the wok with some water, brought it to a boil, then placed the steamer on top. Steamed them in batches for about 10-12 minutes. You can tell they’re done when the wrappers are a bit translucent and the filling is cooked through.
So, how did they turn out? Honestly, they were pretty darn good! The filling was flavorful, and you could really taste the fresh veggies. They were definitely lighter than the restaurant ones. My wife even said she preferred them, which is a big win! They weren’t quite as, you know, “rich” or “decadent” as the ones you get out, but that was the whole point, right? They felt good to eat.
It was a bit of work, especially the chopping and wrapping, but totally worth it. Making a big batch means you can freeze some for later too. Just freeze them uncooked on a tray, then pop them into a bag. Steam straight from frozen, just add a few extra minutes.
So yeah, that was my healthy dim sum making day. A bit of effort, but a tasty and guilt-free result. If you’re thinking about it, I say go for it. You can totally customize the filling to whatever you like. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, and you get delicious food at the end of it.