Cumin lamb dumplings

These lamb dumplings are a little different from many of the more familiar pork-based dumplings. Made with lamb and vegetables, they also include a touch of cumin which adds a warm spice flavor. They're incredibly flavorful and most definitely worth trying soon. 

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There's something both fun and comforting about dumplings, in all their many shapes and forms. We love trying different kinds and they are something we'll often pick out as an appetizer when we go out if it's an option. They are high on the request list at home, too.

For us, that's more likely to mean one of dumplings' Italian cousins, as they are ones we'll eat for dinner as a main (pumpkin ravioli, crab ravioli and tortellini in brodo are big favorites). But I do also make some Chinese-style dumplings now and then like pork and cabbage dumplings or vegetable dumplings. 

As I was looking into different kinds, I came across this lamb variety and knew I had to try it. If you're a regular around here, you'll know I'm a lamb fan, and the flavors in these sounded wonderful. And I wasn't disappointed. I have drawn on a few sources for these, in particular this recipe from Chinese American Family. 

Where are lamb dumplings from?

These lamb dumplings are from Northern China, particularly the Muslim minority community, though they are also eaten more widely. Some say that a version of these were actually the first ever dumplings, created by Chinese medicinal healer Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han dynasty (150-219 CE).

The story goes that he returned to his hometown in winter to find a number of poor people had suffered frostbite in their ears. He developed the filling based on his knowledge of Chinese medicine and herbs, and shaped them into ear shapes, then boiled them and gave them to the poor. The combination of herbs, warming broth and dumplings helped to heal them.

In part in memory of this story, these and other dumplings are popular to enjoy during the Dongzhi Festival which is a celebration of the winter solstice. At this time of year, it can be very cold in the North, so warm foods are needed.

Other regions also enjoy dumplings of various kinds during Dongzhi. Dumplings were traditionally a luxury food and so are popular for many festivals, not just Dongzhi but also the Lunar New Year and the lantern festival soon after.

For Dongzhi, Wonton soup is popular in Eastern China and sweet tangyuan (not always considered a dumpling, but very similar) in Southern China. 

Steps to make these dumplings

If you have made other dumplings before, the process to make these is much the same. 

• Shred the cabbage and carrot and cook both in a little oil - this helps to soften them up a bit, as they may not cook quite enough in the dumplings otherwise. Also, it helps the carrot to be a little sweeter and the veg generally more flexible and so easier to work with. 
• Finely chop the vegetables - this again makes them easier to work with.
• Mix all the filling ingredients. 
• Spoon a little of the filling on each dumpling wrapper. You don't want to over-fill them, so leave an edge to let you seal them. Keep the filling away from this outside area as the filling makes it hard to seal the dough. You might want to try sealing one dumpling to get a feel for the right amount.
• Seal up the dumplings.There are a number of ways to seal dumplings and really none is right or wrong. For these, you typically go relatively simple and seal with a slightly gathered edge, but you can also simply seal the two sides (see picture above). Make sure the sides are well-sealed and you don't have an air pocket.
• Cook the dumplings for a couple minutes. This type is typically boiled rather than steamed or fried.  

If you make extra, you can freeze uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet/plate then once frozen, carefully transfer to a freezer bag or container. Then simply cook from frozen and add an extra couple minutes to the cooking time.

These cumin lamb dumplings have a delicious mix of flavors, with juicy meat, vegetables and a lovely aromatic spice. They are comforting, so easy to eat and perfect n a cold day. Though really we could enjoy them any time.

Try these other Chinese favorites:

• Hong shao rou (sticky braised pork belly - it needs a little waiting time but is easy and delicious)
• Cong you bing (scallion pancakes)
• Shrimp shumai (open-topped dumplings with a shrimp-based filling)
• Plus get more Chinese recipes and appetizer recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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