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Gok Zai is the Cantonese name for this sweet crispy dumpling I'm about to show you how to make in a pinch. The ingredients are simple and the whole process takes less than 30 minutes to make, from start to finish. The filling is typically made of peanuts, coconut, and sugar. It's sugary, crispy, nutty and aromatic, everything you could possibly want in a 2-3 bite item:)
And the fact that his can be made in less than 30 mins, wins points for me. The benefit of being able to make and enjoy a delicious treat rather quickly upon making it is something I like to filter for when deciding what desserts to make. Maybe that's why I always gravitated to this dessert when I was young during Lunar New Year. Many of the other sweets we would eat, would take a much longer to prepare and thus we wouldn't be able to enjoy it until the end of the night. Gok Zai however can be made ahead of time and stored for days in a container. Us kids use to snack on them throughout the day, waiting for the big Lunar New Year feast. And there was never a low supple of gok zai because every family and family friend would make them and gift them to each other. Now you can learn to make it, share it with your family and your friends.
Gok Zai, Chinese Sweet Crispy Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 cup peanuts
1/2 cup desiccated shredded coconut (sweetened preferred)
5 tablespoons sesame seeds
5 tablespoons cane sugar (you may need more if coconut is unsweetened) - adjust to your liking
3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
Optional: 1 tablespoon chia seeds (for a little healthy kick)
12-16 round dumpling skins (siu gao skin)
Method:
Pulverize peanuts and coconut a blender into a rough grind (should look gritty)
Pour into a skillet and toast on low heat with sesame seeds until fragrant
Add toasted ingredients into a bowl, add melted butter and sugar. Mix! (Add chia seeds in this step if you wish to add a little healthy fiber)
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 mins.
Wrapping method:
Have a small bowl of water on the side to be used to seal the dumplings.
Place a heaping teaspoon of peanut/coconut filling in the middle of the wrapper.
Dab water along the edge and fold up into a half circle and seal.
Crimp edges and set aside
Fry dumplings:
Heat a pot with canola oil to 340F and fry the Gok Zai at low to medium heat until golden brown. Takes about 2 mins.
Be sure to flip them so both sides are golden brown.
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