Making homemade dumplings is a great way to catch up with your girlfriends.

Earlier this week, Steve and I traveled back to California, where we celebrated the beginning of a new lunar year with his family. For those who aren’t familiar with the history behind these Eastern version “Hot Pockets”, dumplings are traditionally made during lunar new year because they symbolize wealth.

My girlfriends and I decided to spend some Sunday quality time by getting our nails done and making dumplings. If you have any reluctance about making them, let me reassure you that homemade dumplings are much easier than you might think, and quite inexpensive, too!

Here’s a little secret about making dumplings. Having good quality wraps can make all the difference. Make them at home, or find your nearest Asian market for pre-made wraps specifically made for dumpling texture.

Ingredients are very basic. Chop green onions, garlic, and ginger, then throw them into a large bowl.

Mix in meat(s) and add soy sauce (also known as “shoyu”) and sesame oil for flavor. Fill separate small bowls with water – you’ll need them as “glue” later.

Place a small dollop of meat onto each wrapper. No more than a tablespoon at most. Having too much meat will make it difficult to close (and may rip later), but having too little meat will create air pockets that will eventually become “vacuum sealed” when the dumplings are boiled.

Using fingers, wet the edges with water like a glue stick. Fold wrapper in half and stick edges together.

Once the dumpling is enclosed and shape takes place, fold the edges in and pinch around the top to create a wave-like pattern.

Drink wine, be merry, and gossip (Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux broke up? WTF, she’s pregnant?!). On a side note, never underestimate the importance of girlfriends. Thanks Caroline for taking the pic!

Place them onto a tray with wax paper sprinkled with flour. This prevents the pretty little dumps from sticking to the pan.

Boil dumplings in medium heat for 7-10 minutes. You don’t want the water to be too hot, because they will overcook them too quickly and rip. If you’re in the mood for crispy goodness, you can also pan fry them in sesame or olive oil on each side until brown.

All done! Not too bad, right? Feel free to enjoy them a la carte, or pair them with other dishes. Since we worked so hard for our homemade dumplings, we decided it was okay to cheat on other items (pre-marinated Korean kal-bi, Chinese chive pancakes from frozen package, store bought kimchi, and sauteed veggies).

After how much I pigged out today, I’m hopeful for a prosperous new year (of the Dragon). After all, the Dragon is considered to be “an extremely auspicious sign” (by Huffington Post).

Dropping Dumplings
Serves 8-10

+ 3 packages, gyoza wraps
+ 2 lbs. ground pork
+ 1 lb. ground beef
+ 2 bulbs or 15-20 cloves of garlic, chopped
+ 2 stacks of green onions, chopped
+ 1 nug of ginger
+  3/4 cup, soy sauce
+ 1/4 cup, sesame oil