Sesame & Soba Wrapped Dumplings

***This recipe is a more simple & healthful riff on a beautiful one by She Simmers
But was I about to bring out the deep fryer when its already over 80 degrees in sunny Florida right now? Actually, have I ever even used the deep fryer I bought on a whim during a Black Friday sale? Nope. Still sitting in box, mocking me. Although my arteries are probably ok with it.

And, was I going to spend an hour meticulously wrapping meatballs in noodles? Um, I don’t think so. I keeps it as simple as possible.

So I went to work on reclaiming her recipe into something that works for me.

Didn’t need the egg after all. 6 ingredients!

Used 100% buckwheat soba noodles, which are not wheat at all, actually. They are gluten free, lower-glycemic, and light as a feather. Only two noodles were needed per dumpling, so the calorie count & carb count remained quite in-check.

Used ground pork this time, but have since made them with ground chicken with equally delightful results. See recipe notes.

Toasted sesame hid the flaws in my wrapping skills & lent their crispy-crunchy goodness.

And I baked them instead of deep frying. Didn’t even need an egg to bind.

Done in less than 20 minutes.

I served mine with hot chili oil, but it really wasn’t needed. They can definitely stand as is.
Crisp little flavor bombs made with 6 ingredients!
Perfect with a cocktail.

Make ’em. Enjoy ’em. And let me know how it goes.

Sesame & Soba Wrapped Dumplings

These healthful baked noodle-wrapped meatballs are simple to make & packed with Asian flavors

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 3 per person

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Pan-Asian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 pound Ground Pork
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 hand full Cilantro chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic finely minced
• 2 oz 100% Buckwheat Soba Noodles

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

   Prepare sheet pan or baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.

   Soak noodles in lukewarm water until pliable, about 5 minutes. Set on paper or tea towel to dry in individual strands.

   In a bowl mix ground pork, fish sauce, garlic, and cilantro.  At this point, fry a small patty to test to make sure the seasoning is as you like it.  Adjust accordingly.  I like lots of garlic & cilantro here.  And remember a little fish sauce goes A LONG WAY for most.

   Roll little meatballs in hand.  Mine were about 1" in diameter.  

   Take a noodle and wrap a dumpling, making sure to use a bit of pressure to ensure they stick to your dumplings.  Repeat process with another noodle.  

   As you complete a dumpling, set on parchment covered baking sheet. 

   Repeat process as needed.  1/2 pound of pork yielded a dozen meatballs for me.  Your yield will obviously depend on how large your dumplings.

   Before baking shake on a few toasted sesame seeds onto each dumpling.  I used a mixture of regular and black seeds.

   Bake for 15 minutes.  Check for doneness.  Mine were crisp on outside and succulent on inside at this time.

   Serve with sriracha, hot pepper oil, or plain.
   

Notes

If making with ground chicken, add an egg white to the mixture before rolling into dumplings. Chicken has much less fat so it will require an additional binder.
The larger you roll your dumplings, the more noodles required to wrap them, and the more time needed to make sure they cook thru.

Double or triple the recipe as needed.
Serves well hot from the oven or at room temp.