2½ cups all purpose wheat flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
¾ pounds ground pork or beef
¾ pounds Chinese cabbage or spinach
2 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lard or oil

1. Place flour in bowl. Add salt and
water slowly and knead
with fingers to form a soft
dough. Cover with damp cloth.
Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

2. Mix the meat, green onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, lard
and sesame oil thoroughly in a bowl. Sprinkle a little salt
on the chopped cabbage, then squeeze dry. Add  chopped
cabbage and mix thoroughly to make the filling. You may
boil the cabbage if you like it soft.

3. Move the dough to a lightly floured board; knead again until smooth. Divide the dough into 50 pieces. Flatten each piece with your hand and roll it into a round, thin pancake, about 2½ inches in diameter. The center should be thicker than the edges. Place ½ tbsp. of filling in the center, fold over and pinch in center first. Hold it in your hand and pinch the edges between your thumb and index finger to seal. Repeat the other half with your other hand. Press up slightly toward the center. The shape is like a paper boat.

4. Boil 8 cups water in a deep pan. Drop 20 dumplings, one by one, into the boiling water. Stir carefully with a large spoon to prevent sticking to the bottom of pan and cover with a lid. Cook about 30 seconds until water boils up again.

5. Add 2/3 cup cold water to pan, cover and let boil one more time. Add another 2/3 cup cold water. When it boils again, the dumplings will be done. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon to a plate. Serve hot.

6. In small individual bowls, place some soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper oil or mashed garlic. Dip the dumplings into the mixture, and enjoy.

— Joshua Zhong, adoptive father and executive director  of Chinese Children Adoption International