CRYSTAL DUMPLINGS (FUN GUO)粉果

Whenever I go to dim sum, besides an order of fried glutinous rice dumplings, I order at least one order of crystal dumplings or fun guo 粉果.  The literal translation of fun guo is powder fruit.  This appetizer is made from a combination of starches which are fine powders and traditionally came in crescent shapes, resembling fruit segments. However these days,  the fun guo come in a variety of shapes in order to distinguish the different fillings.

I like these dumplings as they are steamed rather than fried.  Good crystal dumpling (fun guo) wrappers have a soft, chewy texture and smooth mouthfeel.  The skin is translucent, tempting you with a glimpse of the delicious filling inside!

The fillings can be made with a variety of creative ingredients.  If you go to a dim sum restaurant, you may have chef creations that comprise of seafood fun guo like shrimp, crab and scallop.  You can also get fun guo made with meat such as pork and chicken as well as vegetarian offerings.  

Tips for making crystal dumplings (fun guo).

Starches.

This crystal dumpling dough uses a combination of wheat starch and tapioca starch. The combination of these starches result in an opaque wrapper when cooked. Wheat starch is different from wheat flour.  This recipe will not work with wheat flour.  The starches are briefly cooked by adding boiling water to the mixture, not hot water but water that has just been boiled!

I experimented by substituting wheat starch for corn starch.  The corn starch has a tendency to get lumpy very quickly, making it difficult to handle so my suggestion is to try to find wheat starch if this is your first attempt at making this dough.  There is nothing more discouraging than ending up with a mess on your first attempt!

Once you have the correct ingredients, wheat starch being somewhat difficult to find, the rest of the dough making process is super simple!

Filling.

I use the Wong Family's dumpling filling as the base.  I then add fresh cilantro as it gives these dumplings a fresh taste and the green color comes through the dough when cooked, rehydrated shredded black fungus or woodear mushrooms for crunch and pieces of seasoned fresh shrimp for taste, crunch and color!  Coarsely chop your shrimp into large pieces, sprinkle with salt and add finely chopped ginger to take away the fishiness!

Folding.

The easiest way to fold the fun guo is to make crescents by folding a circle in half.  The dough should be thinner than 1/8" (.32cm).  In order to achieve this thickness, I depress an oiled Chinese cleaver down onto a ball of dough.  Once the dough squeezes out from both sides of the cleaver, the dough is about 3.25"  (8 cm) in diameter.

If you do not have a cleaver or tortilla press, you can use any flat surface like the base or a small skillet.  

Steaming crystal dumplings (fun guo).

The easiest way to steam the fun guo is to use some parchment paper.  This reduces the amount of oil that some recipes suggest to oil the steamer.  Allow the water to come to a boil before placing your steamer over the water.  If you are using fresh shellfish in your dumpling, you do not want to overcook the dumplings.  Cook for 5 minutes and serve immediately.