spring cabbage shumai

I've told you before how easily influenced I am by television.

Well, last night on a program called "Matsuko no shiranai sekai" (the unknown world to Matsuko), there was a bento specialist and she showed different dishes that are good hot but better when served cold.

One was this spring cabbage shumai.

The type of shumai she was showing was similar to the type where they cover the shumai filling with julienned shumai wrappers then steam.

Her version though, used julienned spring cabbage in place of the wrappers.

I adapted her recipe and made these...

Spring Cabbage Shumai adapted from "Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai" makes 9 or 10 shumai

300 grams chicken breast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 nub of ginger
1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce
3 leaves of spring cabbage
parchment paper
water

1. Pulse 300 grams of chicken breast with the cornstarch, ginger and hoisin sauce in a food processor just until it comes together.
2. Julienne the leaves of spring cabbage.
3. Make 9 or 10 balls of the chicken mixture
4. Take a small handful of cabbage, place a ball of chicken mixture on top and mold the cabbage with your hands, kind of like making musubi.
5. Place onto parchment paper which you have placed on a frying pan.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have 9 or 10 shumai
7. Put about 1/4 cup water in between the parchment and frying pan.
8. Cook on medium-low, covered, for 12 minutes (check at 6 minutes to see that the water hasn't totally evaporated, add more if necessary)
9. Enjoy.

NOTES: these were super easy to make.

I would up the hoisin sauce to 2 teaspoons or serve with shoyu as there wasn't too much flavor.

But I did enjoy the ginger flavor and love the idea of cabbage being a part of this dish.

I think you could use regular cabbage, though I think you may want to blanch/wilt it before using. Spring cabbage is usually more tender than the other types of cabbage we see during the rest of the year here.

I'm making this again.