Basic Siomai Recipe
It seems like this blog gets daily referrals from searches for a siomai recipe. To lessen the frustration, let me post a basic formula.
Steaming is an excellent method of food preparation since the hot vapour quickly cooks the food while retaining the flavour, colour and nutrients. A metal or bamboo steamer can be utilised though I personally prefer the latter. The vapour permeates the bamboo which gives the food a fine and thorough steaming compared to a metal steamer whose vapour is reduced to large drops of condensation which result in a bit soggy siomai (but that’s just me, the ever fastidious cook). I wonder though if lining the metal steamer with cheese cloth will give better results. One can also improvise with a rice cooker, a wire or expanding metal basket which will hold the food to be steamed above the water. The water should already be boiling before the food is placed in the steamer.
Siomai is a dimsum of Chinese origin which is also quite common in the Philippines. One can order different kinds of siomai but the base is always pork. The ground meat should have some fat otherwise the cooked siomai will be too tough. I tried to experiment on chicken siomai some years back and made the mistake of taking out the skin and fat and it turned out to be tough. Prawns or shrimps can be substituted for part of the pork if desired. For the binder, some use flour or corn starch but I find it to leave a raw taste so I use egg instead (proportion is 1 egg to 1 kg pork). I strongly recommend adding vegetables to give the dimsum some crunch and for nutritional reasons too. If desired ¼ cup of chopped mushrooms or black ear fungus and 1/3 cup fresh or frozen green peas can be added to the recipe below:
Siomai
1 kg ground pork (suggested proportion of fat to lean meat is 1:3)
1/3 cup chopped water chestnuts or jicama (singkamas)
1/3 cup chopped carrots
2 medium or 1 large minced onion(s)
bunch of spring onions or leeks
1 egg
5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
50 pcs. large or 100 pcs. small wanton or siomai wrapper
soy sauce, calamansi (lemon or kumquats), sesame oil and chilli paste (for the sauce)
- Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper. Fold and seal.
- Meanwhile, boil water and brush steamer with oil.
- When the water gets to a rolling boil, arrange the siomai in the steamer and let stand for 15-20 minutes, longer for larger pieces.
- Serve with soy sauce, calamansi and sesame oil. Chilli past is optional.
Update: Someone asked me for the recipe of chilli paste and siomai wrapper that’s why I’m reproducing it here.
Siomai Wrapper
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Beat egg and mix with flour till free of lumps.
- Bring water, cooking oil and salt to a boil, then pour in flour.
- Remove from heat and beat until mixture forms a ball.
- Divide the dough into 1 1/4 -inch balls.
- Roll each ball on a floured board until paper thin. Set aside.
Simplest version of chilli sauce would be to chop chillies well and fry them in oil, sesame or vegetable oil, never olive oil if you want it to have an Asian taste.
The chilli paste found in restaurants is a combination of chillies, garlic and oil. Combine chopped chillies and mashed garlic then simmer for around 20 minutes or till most of the water has evaporated. Add oil, simmer and stir well.
Hi Karen! I have a question. I tried using using your recipe but I opted to use the commercially available siomai wrappers. My siomai ended up having “elastic” wrappers. Parang naging rubbery yung texture. Would you know why?
Thanks! You’re site is fantastic!:cat:
thnx,.. ill try to make some siomai to my fiancee,.. thnx for the info,..
any substitute for singkamas?
hi karen! thanks so much for this recipe, will definitely give this one a try. i have a question, tho. whenever i steam siomai, they always end up naked. meaning, the wrappers don’t stick to the meat and i’ll usually find my steamer in a squishy mess. can you give me advice on this? thanks so much!!
hello! can i have a recipe for dismsum steamed rice? please please please… ive tried ur siomai recipe and it was great. hoping u cud send me the steamed rice recipe too.. m crazy about dimsum! please please.. thanks :hungry:
Hi! I tried this recipe and the taste is good. Also, the chili paste is a success. I just added a bit of soy sauce and sugar to have more taste. However I have a problem regarding the firmness and texture of the siomai. Its soggy and doesnt hold like the resto type. It crumbles down while steaming. Can you help me with this? Thanks so much Karen..
[...] Decided to have myself some lunch, couple ahead of me was loading up with the siopao and the siomai and the mami, so followed their lead and ordered chicken mami. Decided to eat it at restaurant, sat [...]
Hi Karen,
I am total kitchen neophyte (more like an idiot, actually ;)). I was pretty successful with the chili sauce but Im afraid I messed up the siomai I tried to make because it turned out dry. Well, I just need a confirmation from you - when I made the siomai I did not add any fat at all (the ground pork already had 9% fat in it accdg to the package) - is this the culprit? Was the lack of fat the reason for my dry siomai?
Thank very much and cheers!
Hi Karen, I was looking for a siomai recipe thru inet and found this site. I haven’t tried making your version of it but I guess yours will be good. I also would love to try it as your ingredients are easy to find…I have one question though..i don’t know is molo wrapper will be a good substitute to a siomai wrapper?…I’m not sure if I can get a siomai wrapper from a chinese supermarket here in Canada. I’ve tried the wanton wrapper before and it’s not good for siomai.
hello po!
I am a fan of chinesse food esp. siomai, me and my hubby jesse loves to eat siomai…is there any trick for me to know how to make soimai dt stick to wrapper after it cooked?hope to hear from u soon..Godbless!
[...] Yeah once I’ve tried making my own wrapper using Karen’s recipe. I’d say it’s a great culinary experience… but I don’t think I will try it [...]
HOw come the siomai wrapper gets brownish? Where can I buy whiter siomai wrappers?
:hungry:
Have you tried putting grated gabi to improve the texture? You need also cassava strarch-the one you use for armirol–its the best starch for dumplings.
hi maui,
another convenient way to have the chili oil welove in dimsum houses is to just buy a ready made one… lee kum kee has it.. it’s called chiu chow chili oil.
tnx… juz thinkin of it makes me hungry :hungry: … and i cant wait to cook it for my husband… and its really nice dat u published it wid pictures…
:chickenrun: i can’t wait to cook and try eating. also i am excited with the result, if it tastes good.hehe…kaya gudluck to me n those who will be eating my cook.
:cat: :cat: :cat: :cat:
hope to receive new siomai recipes that werent produced eversince…
:chickenrun: :toast: :tomato: :kettle: :coffee: :chomp: :lemon: i like it very much…….its not beco’z its my favorite but………….i think its yummy when you cook it…….
thanks for the info :frog: :burger: :hungry: :cloud9: :birthdaycake: :lollipop: :m-m:
Thanks for the recipe!!! God Bless :cloud9:
Hello! I miss Pinoy siomai
I’m trying your recipe. thanks for sharing
HI Karen,
I tried your recipe but the wrapper that I bought in a local super mart does not adhere or stick to the cooked meat and when they are placed side by side they stick to each other. So I tried again but this time when I am about to transfer the siomai’s the meat slid out of the wrapper. what do you suggest that I do? Thanks
vio
hi,
i love siomai. however, i have a problem preparing it. the wrapper does not stick with the filling. can u help me with this?
thanks..
is there a siomai wrapper that is already prepared??
do i have to cook the meat first??
smells good taste even better :cat: :wow: :cloud9: :birthdaycake:
:hungry: :sheep: :cat: :chickenrun: :fruitdrink: :hersheyskiss: :birthday: :birthday:
:blooms: wow! its seems like siomai is so delicious..i wanna try this one! thanks.. :hungry:
can you give me shark’s fin dumpling recipe and shark’s fin soup recipe tnx
tanks so much for d recipe.. so helpful.. however, singkamas is so hard to find here in the middle east. is there anything i can substitute it for? i want my siomai to be stuffed wd vegies.. and also lumpia wrapper cant be used instead of siomia/wanton, right? thanks a lot.
[...] lemon). Siomai is a dimsum of Chinese origin, which is also quite common in the Philippines. This pork siomai recipe sounds [...]
thanks for the recipe…i find it easy but i have a question what if pork is not available is there any substitute coz im in muslim country…thanks
hi ate karen can i not use singkamas bec its hard to find here….thanksss
hi! wanna say thanks for the recipe, i will try to cook this. Anyone knows Asia Markt here in Germany, i mean near to my place in Immenstadt. Its difficult to find.:(
im craving for that cebu style steamed rice i haven’t eaten for almost 30 yrs. no were to find in bacolod. thanx
do you have a recipe for cebu style steamed rice.. im really cravig to know its recipe..thanx
I have many troubles with my web browser Flock on your site. The chimpanzees are still in the system :).