Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai is a traditional Chinese dumpling and are essential part of dim sum. 

After non-stop dumpling pop-ups this month, it’s nice to sit down and tend to my blog (which has been neglected lately) and finally share Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai recipe that’s been lingering on my draft.  Shumai is an open faced Chinese dumpling from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia region and it’s a pretty popular dish at dim sum. Pork and shrimp are commonly used fillings and since I don’t eat pork, I decided to take matters into my own hand and create a version with shrimp and mushroom filling. If you are new to the world of shumai, I hope you will find this post to be resourceful and enjoy the shrimp and mushroom combo together.

Dumpling is truly a labor of love and it’s little things that makes all the difference between a good & bad dumpling. A good ratio of filling to a wrapper, seasonings, & type of wrapper are few things to generally keep in mind for any dumplings. For Shrimp & Mushroom Shumai, always use “raw” shrimp and due to cost, I stick with unpeeled shrimp (with shells and all). If you want to save time, go with the peeled and deveined raw shrimp.

Another key ingredient is mushroom here and I use dried shittake and rehydrate them. I am grateful to have access to lots of Asian markets for some of the key ingredients for Shumai. I haven’t used fresh mushroom for Shumai yet so I can’t speak to it. If you guys end up trying it, I’d love to know.

Depending on the quantity, you can patiently chop both shrimp & mushroom into very small chunks or use a food processor. You don’t want to mush them altogether but there shouldn’t be chunky pieces either, esp the mushroom.

Let’s talk seasonings! Unlike mo:mos, Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai has a good balance of soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil followed by grated ginger and scallions. You don’t want to drown your shrimp & mushroom in seasonings but I like shumai to be slightly ginger and sesame forward. You will also notice that I use white pepper vs regular black pepper

The pepper plant (piper nigrum) is a vine that produces berries (green, pink, black, white etc) and we use them to season our food. Black pepper berries are picked before fully ripening (vs. green berries are picked before the berry ripens)  and are allowed to dry. As the berry dries, it darkens giving it that black color and strongest flavor of the berries. In case of white pepper, it is the seed of the pepper plant and the outer hull is removed. It has a lighter and cleaner pepper flavor and used more for aesthetics for clear soups, mashed potatoes etc so the black spots are not visible.

There are such things as “Su My Wraps” which I have only seen at Asian grocery stores. They are found in the freezer section along with other wrappers and buns. This is the only brand I have used and it’s thinner compared to dumpling/potsticker wrappers and it works really well for shumai. As shumai is an open faced dumpling, you want a thinner skin that is pliable enough to make folds and keep the center exposed. Also, shrimp takes less time to cook so having a thinner wrapper helps to cook it quicker so the shumai doesn’t end up chewy or dry.

If you are intimidated by the idea of wrapping a dumpling,  shumai is a good one to try because all you are doing it gathering up the edges into an open faced ball.  You don’t have to worry about pretty pleats or shapes on this one.

I love Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai with chili oil and I have a batch on hand at all times. I used the recipe from thewoksoflife (https://thewoksoflife.com/2015/08/how-to-make-chili-oil/) and it’s delicious. I use it on my fried rice, noodles, dumplings, and sometimes even swirl it into my soups.

You can make a small batch for yourself and freeze the remaining uncooked ones in the freezer for later use…or invite your friends and families for a shumai party. I think assembling dumplings in a large group is a fun activity so that everyone gets to enjoy their labor of love.

If you happen to Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai, don’t forget to tag me and share your experience with me on instagram @foodpleasurehealth. Always love hearing from you guys and seeing all the things you are cooking and eating.

Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai

makes 40-45 shumai

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped mushroom (I use about 2 oz dehydrated shiitake mushroom)

• 2 lb raw shrimp (I use the ones with heads and shells on)

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium

• 1 heaping tablespoon grated ginger

• 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• pinch of sugar

• 2 tablespoon melted butter, optional

• 50-60 shumai wrapper, (thawed in room temperature if frozen)

• handful of peas, very finely diced carrots or orange roe for garnish

Directions

• Soak about 2 oz dried shiitake mushroom in hot water and let it soak for 30 minutes or so.

• Rinse shrimp under cold running water for 15-20 minutes. Remove the head, shells, and clean the shrimp.

• When the mushroom softens, squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop or pulse mushroom using a food processor into very small pieces. Transfer it into a medium bowl

• Pulse shrimp using the same food processor into small pieces. Both mushroom and shrimp should mix in well with about 4:! ratio of shrimp to mushroom.

• In a bowl, mix mushroom, shrimp along with sesame oil, shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, white pepper, and pinch of sugar (to balance the flabors). Butter is optional but I like to add a little for juiciness.

• Take 1 shumai wrapper and wet one half of the wrapper with little water.

• Spoon about 1 teaspoon shrimp and mushroom filling in the center and squeeze the sides up until the wrapper forms a cup. Gently tuck in the sides and leave the filling exposed on top.

• Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and garnish with green peas, orange roe or chopped carrots.

• Boil water in your steamer.

• Line the steamer rack with parchment paper or spray cooking oil evenly and arrange Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai on the rack and steam for 8-10 minutes. To check for doneness, see if the wrappers look shiny, filling should be firm to touch, and it should come off the steamer rack easily.

• Serve Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai immediately with chili oil.

Notes:
You can make a large batch of shumai and only steam what you need. The remaining shumai (or any dumpling) can be frozen for later use. Just line them on a baking tray or a platter and freeze them for 2-3 hours and transfer them into a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. If you do store them directly without freezing them first, they will stick together and form into one big ball.

I can’t wait for you guys to give Shrimp and Mushroom Shumai a try or pin for later use.

What are some of your favorite dumpling flavors? If you have a fav recipe or dumpling tips, I’d love to hear.