盈盈小築
我享受烹調出記憶中的家鄉菜，歡欣能做出不同文化背景親人記憶中的滋味，更享受以文字的方式紓解羈旅異鄉的愁懷，拾掇文化與精神的饗宴
我們全家都很愛吃餃子，忙的時候一包冷凍餃子就能喂飽一家大小。雖然買來的冷凍餃子味道不錯，我卻更喜歡自己擀皮拌餡包的餃子。
我家有很多做咖喱用的茴香籽。夏天時隨手撒了一把到菜地裏就長出一大片的茴香。
這幾天比較空，收了來做茴香餃子，茴香有股很特殊的清香味，調出來的餃子餡特別香，特別好吃。
We love Jiaozi/Chinese Dumplings a lot, frozen dumplings are often my go to for a quick fix for dinner or snack. Though I am very happy with the frozen Jiaozi from the local Asian market, I still make Jiaozi from scratch once in a while when I have time at hand.
I made Dill Jiaozi today for lunch, it is one type that is not sold as frozen, maybe because it is not that common and dill for many, is a taste yet to develop.
One thing though probably worth mentioning. I planted the dill I used today in summer, I just sprinkled a handful of Fennel seeds I have in my pantry and it grown into dill plants!
So now, I am really confused, if fennel seeds gave me dills, why is it called fennel seeds?
Fennel leaves on the left, Dill on the right
左邊的是茴香，右邊的是蒔蘿
Update：I have received a couple of feedbacks on the forum I frequented about the plant I planted. With great curiousity I did a little research and find that the plant I used for these dumplings is indeed Fennel.
According to : http://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/fennel.cfm
There are two types of fennel.
One is treated as an herb (herb fennel – Foeniculum vulgare) and one that is treated like a bulb type vegetable (Florence fennel or Finocchio – Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce).
The herb type grows 3-5 feet tall with fine textured foliage resembling dill. Flat topped clusters of yellow flowers appear in late summer. Stems, leaves and seeds of this type of fennel are harvested and used. Florence fennel is shorter with darker green foliage and is grown for its large, flat thick rosette of petioles at the base often referred to as a “bulb.” Both forms have an anise or licorice flavor.
更新：食譜貼出之後好幾個網友就茴香和蒔蘿進行了一些討論，基於好奇，我到網上做了些搜索。
看來印度超市買的茴香籽是真茴香，種出來的茴香和中國國內吃的茴香類似，不帶球莖，隻長枝葉。
資料來源：「廚房好朋友」球莖茴香。茴香。蒔蘿
想念茴香的朋友們，可以到印度超市買茴香種子種茴香羅！
材料：
3 杯 375克 中筋麵粉
1 杯 涼水 （可適量增減）
1/4 茶匙鹽
餡料：
200克 茴香葉
300克 豬肉餡
1/3 杯 水
2 大勺 料酒
3 大勺 蔥花
1 大勺 薑蓉
1/2 小勺 食鹽
1 小勺 生抽
1/4 小勺 胡椒粉
1/4 小勺 五香粉
雞精 少許
糖 少許
1 大勺 香油/麻油
1/4 杯 食油/橄欖油
Ingredient：(make 40-45 medium size wrappers)
3 cup/ 375 g all purpose flour
1 cup drinking water （adjust accordingly）
1/4 tsp salt
Fillings：
200 g Dill leaves
300 g Ground pork
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp Cooking wine
3 tbsp minced scallion
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp White/black pepper powder
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder
A little Chicken essence
A little sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1. 把中筋麵粉，水和鹽混合後和成一個軟硬適中的麵團。把麵團蓋上，放一邊餳麵45分鍾。
2. 開始拌餡，把茴香摘好洗淨切碎，薑切碎。
3. 把肉末放到一個大盆裏，用筷子或木勺邊攪拌邊加入料酒和水，喜歡餡料更濕潤的，可以多加兩大勺水。
4. 把蔥花和薑蓉加入拌勻後，加鹽，胡椒粉，五香粉，醬油，蠔油，雞精和糖，大力用勺子攪上勁。把調好味的肉末靜置20分鍾煨煨。
5. 20分鍾後，在肉末裏加入食油和香油拌勻，最後才加入切碎的茴香拌勻，這樣可以防止茴香出水。
1.Mix the flour, water and salt in a large bowl to make a smooth tough dough, let it rest for 45 minutes.
2. Once the dough is put aside for resting, start working on the dumpling filling, clean and chop the dill and scallion, grate ginger as finely as possible.
3. Place ground pork in a mixing bowl and stir with a spatula in circular motion while slowly adding 2 tbsp of cooking wine and 1/3 cup of water. You can add more water if you like your filling juicier.
4. Add chopped scallion and grated ginger, season with salt, pepper powder, five spice powder, soy sauce, oyster sauce,sugar and chicken essence. Let the ground pork marinate with seasoning for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, add cooking oil and sesame oil, stir until incorporated. Add chopped dill last to prevent water release from dill and make the filling too soggy at wrapping.
6. 把餳好的麵團取出，台麵上撒點手粉，揪或切出40-45個劑子。也可把麵團分成幾份處理，可以避免幹裂。
7. 把劑子用手掌壓扁後用擀麵杖擀成3寸大 (7.5 公分) 的餃子皮。擀麵時可酌量撒點麵粉防粘。
8. 取一大勺餡料放到皮中央，對折後先捏中間，然後由中間向兩邊將餃子皮邊折起邊捏緊。把餃子碼放到撒了點粉的大盤子或蓋簾上。
（朋友送的蓋簾派上用場啦！）
9. 把餃子全都包好後，煮滾半鍋水，水裏可以加點鹽。水滾之後用個湯勺把水快速劃圈成漩渦狀，趁這個時候把餃子下鍋，這樣做餃子就不會粘鍋了。煮餃子水要寬，一次不要煮太多，15-20隻最恰當。
10. 餃子下鍋後水再次煮滾時，往鍋裏加2-3大勺的涼水，水就馬上不滾了，俗話這叫點水，（有的人喜歡點兩次甚至三次的水。我的餃子不大，點一次我覺得就可以了）水再次煮滾後大約30秒餃子即可起鍋。
6. Take the dough out and place on a dusted surface, cut the dough into 40-45 equal pieces, you can work in batches to make it easier.
7. Pick up one piece of dough and lightly press it with your palm to make a small coin, then use a rolling pin to smooth it out into a small circular disc about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. You can add a little bit of flour to keep the wrappers from sticking.
8. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Hold the dumpling with one hand and start sealing the dumpling by folding the wrapper into half and pinch the center until it sticks together, then seal the edges with the other hand by folding and pinching it together. Repeat the same process for all remaining ingredients.
9. Bring half pot of water to boil with a dash of salt in it, once the water starting to boil, use a spatula to swirl the water until it turn into a whirlpool (this is to prevent the fresh dumplings to stick to the bottom) while you place the dumplings into water to cook, around 15-20 pieces at a time.
10. Cook until the dumplings started floating on top of water, add 2-3 tablespoon of cold water into the pot, bring it to boil again.
吃的時候沾點醬油，醋和紅油。
The dumplings are now cooked. Take it out and serve with soy sauce, black vinegar and some red oil.
歡迎到我的英文客玩--
http://www.echoskitchen.com/2016/11/dill-dumplingsjiaozi.html
