Khanom Jeeb (Pork and Shrimp Dumplings)

Ingredients

• Garlic Oil:
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Wontons:
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• Salt to taste
• 2 cilantro stems, chopped
• 5 ounces ground pork
• 5 ounces shrimp, minced
• 5 water chestnuts, minced
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 25 wonton wrappers, or as needed
• Dipping Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 scallions, sliced into thin rings
• 1 bird’s eye chile, or more to taste (optional)

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat; add minced garlic. Slowly cook garlic until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Crush peppercorns using a mortar and pestle until powdery. Add peeled garlic and a pinch of salt; crush into a paste. Mix cilantro stems into the paste.

Mix paste, pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon white sugar, fish sauce, tapioca starch, light soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons pork-shrimp mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling, sealing the edges together and creating a purse-like pouch.

Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add wontons, cover, and steam until the filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Whisk rice vinegar, light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon white sugar, scallions, and bird's eye chile together in a bowl until dipping sauce is well mixed.

Serve Khanom Jeeb with a drizzle of garlic oil and dipping sauce on the side.