Nutritious and easy-to-make: chicken dumplings with sesame dipping sauce

Packed with delicious veggies and chicken,  these Chinese-style dumplings will satisfy any palate.  A healthy option:  they're boiled—not fried—keeping them low-fat and low-calorie!

Prep time 30 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 12

Dumplings

• 250 g (1/2 lb) ground chicken
• 24 wonton wrappers (7.5 cm/3 in square)
• 50 g (1/4 c) thinly sliced scallions
• 50 g (1/4 c) minced canned water chestnuts
• 50 g (1/4 c) chopped cilantro
• 20 ml (4 tsp) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) ground ginger
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper

Dipping Sauce

• 50 ml (1/4 c) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 50 g (1⁄4 c) thinly sliced scallions
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) sesame oil
• 10 ml (2 tsp) rice vinegar

1. In medium bowl, combine chicken, scallions, water chestnuts, cilantro, soy sauce, ginger and pepper. Mix well.
2. Working with several wonton wrappers at a time, and keeping remainder loosely covered with damp cloth, start filling wontons. Place generous spoonful of filling on bottom half of wrapper. With wet finger or pastry brush, moisten two sides of wonton. Fold two moistened sides over filling and press to seal and form triangle. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.
3. In small bowl, make the dipping sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar and scallions.
4. Bring large pot of water to boil.  Add dumplings and cook until they float to surface and chicken is cooked through (filling will be firm to the touch). About 4 minutes. Drain. Serve with dipping sauce

Vegetarian dumplings

Mix together shredded carrots, finely diced red peppers and 250 grams (1 cup) sautéed spinach leaves. Mix with the scallions, water chestnuts, cilantro, soy sauce, ginger and black pepper.

Soy sauce is particularly heavy with sodium, so should be used sparingly and always in a low-sodium version. By keeping most of the soy sauce to the dipping sauce, you can regulate your intake more carefully.

Key nutrients

• 90 Calories (30 calories from fat)
• 10 g carbohydrates
• 4 g fat
• 0 g saturated fat
• 0 g trans fat
• 6 g protein
• 0 g fibre
• 220 mg sodium

Vitamins and minerals

• 2 mg vitamin C
• 6 mg magnesium
• 36 mg potassium
• 14 mg calcium

Perfect for entertaining, these chicken dumplings are tasty and easy-to-make. Enjoy Chinese take-out at home today!