Siomai Dumplings

Siomai dumplings are my favorite Filipino snack. You can actually buy siomai dumplings almost anywhere in Manila, even in the convenience store of the gas station. Naturally, I had to learn how to make my own siomai dumplings here in Madrid because it’s not the type of food you can just find anywhere. I wanted to make siomai dumplings using everyday ingredients I had in my refrigerator and pantry. Look no further because this siomai recipe is the bomb!

Siomai has many different spellings. Some people spell in shu mai, shumai, or siumai. Essentially, they’re all just the same: dumplings. At first, I thought siomai dumplings were difficult to make, but I soon realized they’re so easy. To make this, you need finely grated carrots and onions. Some people find it laborious to grate, but with my mini-food processor, it took me a few seconds. Just remember that you need siomai/gyoza wrapper.

My version of siomai dumplings is a mixture of ground pork and shrimp. This combination gives the siomai dumpling a really nice flavor profile. However, you can feel free to just use ground pork or ground beef, whichever is available in your hands. I make a lot of them, and freeze some for another day. They taste just as good, if not better, when you steam them from their frozen state.

When making siomai dumplings with shrimp, I save the shrimp peels and put it in the Instant Pot with water and push the soup/broth button so I can make seafood broth. I prefer doing this first rather than throwing the shrimp peels straight to the trash, because they smell worse when thrown in its raw state.

This is a 2-minute steam recipe using the Instant Pot. If steaming from frozen, it becomes 3 minutes. If you still don’t have the Instant Pot, you need to get yourself one. It is a game-changer in the kitchen.

7-in-1 Instant Pot Duo
Buy now on Amazon

I like to use a small ice cream scoop to get the siomai dumpling mixture to put it in the wrapper. The egg makes the ingredients stay together, but you have to make sure that the scoop is tightly packed. I also use a regular stainless steel steamer basket with the Instant Pot to cook the siomai dumplings.

Instant Pot Siomai Dumpling

A Filipino favorite, done in 2 minutes in the Instant Pot

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Steamer Basket

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 kilo ground pork
• 1 kilo raw shrimp chopped
• 1 pc medium onion grated
• 2 pcs medium carrots grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 pc egg large
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• gyoza wrappers

Instructions

 

• Put onion in the food processor and process. Put carrots in the good processor and process. Place finely ground onions and carrots in bowl.
• Add ground pork and chopped raw shrimp. Mix everything together.
• Add salt, pepper, egg, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Mix.
• Place in the refrigerator for an hour to chill and solidify a bit.
• Once chilled, scoop out the dumpling mixture using a small ice cream scoop and put it into the dumpling wrapper. Just fold the sides of the wrapper to envelope the mixture. The wrapper doesn't need to close at the top.
• Place the siomai dumplings in a steamer basket in the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for two minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure after.
• For the dipping sauce, just mix lemon, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cayenne pepper together, in amounts to your liking.
• Reserve some siomai dumplings and freeze lined up on a baking sheet. Once frozen, place in a ziplock bag in the freezer. To cook, place on a steamer basket in the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for three minutes.