How to prevent dumplings from sticking together

Question

I tried cooking dumplings for the first time a while back. Now I am trying for the second time.

Last time I made them, I used fresh pasta wonton wrappers. I set the edges of the wrappers and then folder them over. There was water getting all over the dumplings.

Then I put them in a pile when they were done.....they glued completely together. This time I want to prevent any chance of them sticking to each other.

Obviously the first step is not to pile the wet dumplings on top of each other. But I am also concerned they might stick when I boil them. They wrappers seems very thin a delicate and I don't want them to tear.

Should I use liberal amounts of flour on them at all stages? Or should I oil them instead before I boil them?

Answer 1

You can't let the dumplings touch after you make them, just keep them spaced apart until you cook them. I'm not a fan of boiling, I prefer steaming them or frying/steaming as described by @user245427 instead, however if you do boil them you can keep them from sticking using this method:

• Use a big pan with plenty of water, that way the dumplings have plenty of space
• Drop the dumplings in 2 at a time on opposite sides of the pot so they don't hit and stick together right away
• Stir them around often, I use a wire strainer I got from an Asian supermarket, it's perfect for the job and you can lift them out very easily with the same tool. See the pic below

I wouldn't bother oiling them before boiling them because the oil will wash off in a couple of seconds and you're just wasting a good ingredient without getting any benefit. Also, don't flour them, you won't solve the sticking problem without using a lot, and the flour will just be a gooey mess later that doesn't taste very nice.

Answer 2

My wife and I make homemade dumplings with the store bought fresh dumpling or wonton wrappers quite often. We usually do the potsticker method to cook them.

-Hot pan with oil.

-Place the dumplings in the pan and let cook for a minute or two.

-Pour some(couple tablespoons) water in the pan, cover and let steam.

-Once the water is gone you're good the eat. You can also leave them in if you like a really crispy bottom, or flip for crisp all around.

The oil tends to leave a bit of a coating so they don't stick.

Or if we boil them, we usually toss with a little sesame or chili oil after we take them out.