Chinese · Authentic-ish Chinese
Jiaozi
249 kcal a serving, against 440 for the traditional version. That is 191 kcal off, or 43%, with 22g of protein. Serves 6. 50 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Fatty pork shoulder minced up and mixed with wet cabbage, bound together with loads of sesame oil. The mixture goes into thick discs of wheat dough. They get thrown into a frying pan with a heavy slick of oil to fry until the bottoms are completely rigid.
What changed, and what each change costs
400g of fatty pork shoulder for 500g of lean pork mince
Ditching the heavy shoulder fat strips out a massive chunk of grease. Using more lean meat means every single dumpling packs far more protein.
What it costs you. You lose the internal soup. A traditional potsticker bursts with hot, melted fat when you bite into it. These are firm, dense and far drier.
300g of plain flour down to 200g
Rolling the wrappers much thinner means you eat less pure starch per dumpling, letting the meat do the heavy lifting for your appetite.
What it costs you. Thin wrappers tear easily. You have to be careful when crimping them, and they lack that hefty, chewy satisfaction.
40g of frying oil down to 5g of sunflower oil
Frying the dumplings in a tiny drop of oil before steaming them gives you a toasted bottom without soaking the dough in grease.
What it costs you. The crust is patchy. You won't get that uniform, deep golden shell across the entire base. Call it a steamed dumpling with a crispy foot rather than a deep-fried parcel and you'll be about right.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 440 | 249 |
| Protein | 17.6g | 22g |
| Fat | 22.6g | 5.4g |
| Saturated fat | 5.4g | 1.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.5g | 27.9g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4g | 8.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Chinese prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, soybeans, sesame.
The method is in the book
You absolutely give up the rich, fatty mouthfeel of a traditional potsticker here. There is no denying that the lack of rendered fat changes the eating experience completely. But what you get in return is a massive pile of savoury, meaty dumplings you can actually eat as a main meal without feeling dreadful afterwards. The lean pork still carries the punchy ginger and soy flavours brilliantly, and the fiercely thin wrapper provides just enough chew to satisfy the craving. Serve them with a sharp dip and you will barely miss the grease.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Chinese, along with 55 more. Buy the paperback