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Har Gow Shrimp Dumplings
Translucent wheat-starch skins pleated around sweet shrimp and bamboo shoot, steamed six minutes and opened at once — the Cantonese dim sum benchmark. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 虾饺, report 104.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 虾饺_104.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 6 minutesTotal: 30 minutesServings: 2 (8 dumplings)Difficulty: AdvancedRegion: GuangdongFlavour: Sweet shrimp, translucent wheat-starch skin
Why this works
Har gow is judged on its skin, and the skin is judged on its water: wheat starch mixed with water at a full rolling boil, stirred fast into a dough, then kneaded with lard until smooth. Water below boiling leaves the skin cracked and opaque; kneading past three minutes develops gluten and turns it tough instead of tender. The filling is deliberately simple — shrimp marinated ten minutes in salt and sugar, bamboo shoot blanched and cut small, lard stirred in one direction twenty times until tacky — so the shrimp stays the flavour, not the seasoning. Each skin is ten grams pressed to six centimetres, each filling fifteen grams, pleated seven to nine times into a crescent comb shape. Steam six minutes over high heat and open the lid immediately: five seconds late and the skins drink steam water and go soft. Serve with black vinegar and chilli oil for dipping, and eat them while the skins are still translucent and just set.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw green shrimp, peeled | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Marinated 10 minutes in salt and sugar, then drained. |
| Bamboo shoot, blanched | 0.7 oz | 20 g | Blanched, squeezed dry, cut into 0.5 cm pieces. Canned bamboo shoot works (adaptation). |
| Lard, for the filling | 0.35 oz | 10 g | Stirred into the filling until tacky. |
| Wheat starch (chengfen) | 5.3 oz | 150 g | Sifted. There is no good substitute — wheat starch is what makes the skin translucent (honest sourcing note). |
| Lard, for the dough | 0.5 oz | 15 g | Kneaded into the dough until smooth. |
| Boiling water, for the dough | About 1 cup | 250 ml | Must be at 100 °C when poured. |
| Salt | ½ tsp | 3 g | For the filling. |
| Sugar | 1 tsp | 5 g | For the filling. |
| Corn starch, for dusting | 2 tsp | 10 g | To prevent sticking. |
| Oil paper or parchment, for lining | As needed | As needed | Line the steamer so the dumplings do not stick. |
Equipment
- Steamer (bamboo or metal) — no special dim sum steamer required (adaptation)
- Small knife back or flat press, for pressing the skins
- Parchment or oiled paper for lining
Steps
- Prepare the filling. Thaw the shrimp if frozen, marinate with salt and sugar for 10 minutes, then drain well. Blanch the bamboo shoot, squeeze dry and cut into 0.5 cm pieces. Mix shrimp, bamboo shoot and lard, stirring in one direction until tacky, and chill until needed.
- Make the dough. Sift the wheat starch into a bowl and pour in the boiling water (100 °C) all at once, stirring quickly into a dough. Add the lard and knead about 3 minutes until smooth — no longer, or the dough toughens. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 5 minutes.
- Shape the dumplings. Roll the dough into a rope and cut 10 g pieces. Press each with a knife back into a 6 cm round. Place 15 g filling in the centre and pleat 7–9 folds, closing into a crescent comb shape with the pleats on one side.
- Steam and open at once. Line the steamer with oiled paper, space the dumplings 1 cm apart, and steam over high heat for 6 minutes (within 30 seconds either way). The moment the time is up, open the lid immediately — within 5 seconds — so the skins do not absorb steam water and soften. The shrimp centre must reach at least 75 °C / 167 °F. Serve at once.
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Technique: boiling water, three-minute knead, immediate lid
Three numbers carry this recipe: water at 100 °C, kneading at three minutes, steaming at six minutes. Cooler water gives cracked, opaque skins; longer kneading gives tough skins; longer steaming collapses the skins and overcooks the shrimp. If your skins crack while pleating, the dough has cooled and dried — cover the unused dough with a damp cloth and work in small batches. If they stick, the steamer paper was not oiled, or the dumplings were spaced tighter than a centimetre.
Variations
- Scallop addition: replace a third of the shrimp with diced scallop for a mixed seafood har gow (adaptation).
- Make-ahead: shape the dumplings, freeze on a tray, then bag; steam from frozen for 8 minutes (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why are my skins opaque?
Usually the water was not at a full boil when mixed, or the dough was over-kneaded. Both destroy translucency.
Can I use rice flour instead of wheat starch?
No — rice flour makes a different, opaque skin. Wheat starch (chengfen) is sold at Asian groceries and is essential here.
Why did my dumplings go soft?
The lid stayed on after steaming, so the skins absorbed steam water. Open it within five seconds of the timer.
Storage and freezing
Best eaten within minutes of steaming. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; re-steam 2 minutes until steaming hot. Uncooked dumplings freeze well for up to 1 month; steam from frozen 8 minutes.
Har Gow Shrimp Dumplings — Recipe Card
Translucent shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoot, steamed six minutes.
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 6 minutesTotal: 30 minutesServings: 2 (8 dumplings)
Ingredients: 150 g shrimp; 20 g bamboo shoot; 10 g lard (filling); 150 g wheat starch; 250 ml boiling water; 15 g lard (dough); 3 g salt; 5 g sugar; 10 g corn starch for dusting.
Steps: 1) Marinate shrimp 10 minutes; mix filling. 2) Mix wheat starch with 100 °C water, knead 3 minutes, rest 5 minutes. 3) Press 10 g skins 6 cm, fill 15 g, pleat 7–9 folds. 4) Steam 6 minutes, open lid within 5 seconds.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 虾饺 (data/reports/104.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The canned bamboo-shoot note and the freezer variation are adaptations and are labelled as such. Original poster image: clouchef.com (虾饺_104.jpeg).