Shrimp Dumplings Wrapped in Eggplant
These chunky shrimp dumplings are wrapped in eggplant slices and steamed. The dashi based sauce is thickened with rice flour. This dish brings out the rich flavor and texture of the shrimp.
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The sauce uses rice flour as a thickener. Once mixed with water and heated, the sauce does not separate over time.
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Japanese ingredients such as dashi, mirin, and sake can be purchased online or at Asian grocery stores.
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All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.
4-6 servings
Ingredients
For the dumplings
| 3.5oz/100g | shrimp, peeled and deveined |
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| 2 tablespoons (30ml) | sake Japanese rice wine |
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| 2-3 (200g) | Japanese or Chinese eggplants |
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| Oil, as needed | |
| ½ (8oz/230g) can | water chestnuts or lotus roots |
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| ⅔ cup (100g) | rice flour |
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| ½ teaspoon (3g) | salt |
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| 1 tablespoon (12g) | sugar |
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| 2 teaspoons (12ml) | soy sauce |
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For the sauce
| ¾ cup (180ml) | dashi broth or chicken broth |
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| 2 teaspoons (10ml) | mirin |
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| 2 teaspoons (12ml) | soy sauce |
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| ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) | salt |
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| 1 tablespoon (10g) | rice flour |
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| 1 tablespoon (15ml) | water |
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For garnish
| Boiled asparagus and carrots | |
Directions
For the dumplings
Roughly chop 1/3 of the shrimp and marinate in 1 tablespoon sake.
Slice the eggplants lengthwise in 1/4 inch (5mm) thickness. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté eggplants on both sides gently until soft, without tearing them apart. Set aside.
In a blender, mix the remaining 2/3 of the shrimp, water chestnuts, rice flour, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and the remaining 1 tablespoon sake.
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp mixture with the marinated chopped shrimp.
Divide the shrimp mixture into egg-size portions, and make them into cylinder shapes. Dust with rice flour.
Wrap each piece with eggplant slices.
When the steamer boils, steam the wrapped dumplings for 15 minutes.
For the sauce
In a sauce pan, boil the broth, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. In a small bowl, mix rice flour and water. Add the mixture into the broth and stir gently. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat.
Plate the steamed dumplings and pour over the sauce. Serve with cooked asparagus and carrots on the side.
- This recipe uses US customary units. Measurement equivalents include: 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, and 1 US cup = 237ml or 8fl oz. (1 metric cup = 250ml or 8.5fl oz.)
- The cooking time using microwave oven in this recipe is based on 1,000W in the US.
- The temperature and baking time may be different depending on the oven used. Please adjust accordingly.
- All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.