Dumpling Rice
A one-pot way to use up leftover dumpling mince - or just plain pork mince if that's what's on hand - bulked out with rice and finished with store-bought or homemade dumplings nestled right on top, then steamed through with bok choy at the end.
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups leftover dumpling mince (or substitute plain pork mince, though the dumpling mince carries extra flavour)
2 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
4 sprigs coriander, stems thinly sliced and leaves reserved for garnish
1 x 5cm knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned
1.5 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp sesame oil
12 store-bought Asian-style dumplings, any kind (or use a batch of homemade ones if you have them)
1 bunch pak choy or bok choy, stems finely chopped, leafy ends kept whole or torn
ketchup manis, to serve
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the dumplings (straight from frozen is fine) and fry until at least one edge is dark golden, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add the garlic and allow to crisp to golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the dumpling mince (or pork mince), the white parts of the spring onions, sliced coriander stems, and grated ginger to the pot. Allow to brown, then begin breaking it up, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the corn kernels and rice, coating well in the mixture.
Pour in the chicken stock and sesame oil. Stir everything together, making sure the rice is submerged, then carefully arrange the dumplings on top.
Transfer to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes.
While the dumplings bake, prepare the pak choy - finely chop the stems and set aside, keeping the leafy ends whole or torn.
Remove the pot from the oven and place the pak choy stems and leaves on top. Cover with a lid and return to the oven to steam for a further 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and garnish with the reserved spring onion greens and coriander leaves.
Serve hot, drizzled with ketchup manis if you like.
HINTS
This is the perfect next-day recipe if you've made a batch of dumplings earlier in the week - the leftover mince carries far more flavour than plain mince alone.
Frying the dumplings before they go on top of the rice gives them a golden, slightly crisp edge that holds up even after the second round of steaming.
Don't skip covering the pot for the final 10 minutes - that's what steams the bok choy through without overcooking the dumplings underneath.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4-6 - guide only):
Energy: 15,700 kJ (3750 cal)
Protein: 120 g
Fat: 160 g
Saturated fat: 45 g
Carbohydrate: 400 g
Sugars: 30 g
Fibre: 20 g
Sodium: 7000 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.