Sinigang Salmon Dumplings

The temperatures have dropped in Seattle for a week now, and I’ve been living in my full length down coat. I look ridiculous and frumpy, but at this point, I care more about my comfort than style. It’s hard to imagine that Spring Festival is arriving soon with the weather we’re having.

So today, I will deliver to you a bowl of ultimate comfort. Sinigang is a hot and sour style soup from the Philippines that is made tangy with young green tamarind. Pork and shrimp are common additions, but salmon (head) is also a popular choice. Water spinach, radish, gabi (a variation of taro), long beans, eggplant, tomatoes and onions add to the overall nourishment you’ll feel after eating a bowl of this unique soup, especially with a side of fish sauce and hot chilis.

Now, fish dumplings are usually filled with white fish. But hang with me, I swear, with the sinigang seasoning, these salmon dumplings will be a hit. An added bonus: the pink and green filling is visually appealing, especially if you decide to serve this during your Lunar New Year’s celebrations.

The soup our dumplings will be temporarily living in is my take on our Teochew neighbors’ (our family is originally from Xiamen) traditional dish, “Fish Soup”. Google wasn’t much helpful in my search, but they did lead me to Wok and Kin’s blog, from which I took inspiration from.

Dumplings, check! Fish, check. (Technically, they should be whole, but no one’s checking). You’re close to getting preparations in order and I hope you like my rendition of a 2-for-1 for the Spring Festival! 春节快乐!

Sinigang Salmon Dumplings

Yield: 55-60 dumplings, depending on size of wrapper

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the dumplings:

1 lb salmon, minced or roughly processed

1 tbsp ginger, minced

200 grams Chinese radish, minced

50 grams green onion, minced

½ pack (50 grams) of sinigang mix, I use the Mama Sita’s brand*

60 store bought dumpling wrappers, I like using the Wei Chuan brand*

For the soup:

2 cups +1 cup taro, cubed

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

6 cups water

½ onion, sliced

1 tomato, chopped

1 pack pickled mustard greens, roughly chopped

1 pack tofu, cubed

¼ cup fish sauce

½ pack (50 grams) of sinigang mix

1 jalapeno, whole

Other:

More fish sauce, for serving- optional

Sliced jalapeno or chili of choice, for serving- optional

Instructions:

Peel and cut salmon into cubes. Pulse in a blender until a rough paste forms. In a bowl, mix salmon paste, ginger, radish, green onion and sinigang mix until fully incorporated. Wrap dumplings and set aside.*

Gently pan (or air) fry 2 cups of cubed taro in a pan until slightly toasted on all sides.

To make the soup, take the last cup of taro and boil in water until soft in a large pot. When taro is soft, you can mash it or use a stick blender.* Add onion, tomato, mustard greens, tofu, fish sauce, mustard greens, fish sauce, sinigang mix, fried taro and jalapeno and bring to a boil.

While boiling, add the dumplings. You’ll know they are ready if they float and/or the skin turns translucent.

Serve while hot, with a side of fish sauce and more sliced chilis, if desired.

Notes:

*There are many kinds of sinigang mixes. Look for the word “tamarind” (or the Filipino name sampaloc).

*I’ve tried many other brands, but Wei Chuan is the best. They are thick, but pliable so your dumplings don’t tear in the middle of pleating. I’ve tried both the round and square shapes, and neither disappoint, but in my opinion, I can get more filling in the square ones. For more information about basic dumpling folding, visit: https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-fold-a-chinese-dumpling/

*Fish dumplings are freezer- friendly and can be dropped into the boiling soup frozen

*This is to thicken your broth a bit, but this step can be skipped.