Can I skip the water chestnuts?

Yes, the recipe notes that water chestnuts can be left out if they are not available. Water chestnuts add texture to the pork and shrimp filling, especially if fresh water chestnuts are used. The pork and shrimp filling will be more uniform in texture without the water chestnuts. If you are using fresh water chestnuts, peel and rinse and chop the water chestnuts before measuring them.

Do I need dried scallops?

No, dried scallops are not necessary for this shumai recipe. Dried scallops provide flavor when rehydrated and minced into the shumai filling. Other ingredients and seasonings commonly included in shumai fillings include pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and oyster sauce. Dried scallops need to be rehydrated before mincing. Dried scallops should be soaked for at least four hours or overnight before mincing and use in shumai.

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Frozen shrimp can be used if thawed and added to the dumpling filling. The shrimp in the recipe are cut into 1/4-inch pieces to provide texture. Other liquids on the surface of frozen shrimp can make the filling too wet. Pat thawed shrimp dry before cutting to avoid a wet filling for pork shrimp dumplings.

Can I freeze shumai before steaming?

Yes, freeze the raw shumai in a single layer on parchment paper. Placing the shumai apart prevents them from sticking together when stored in a bag. Do not defrost shumai before cooking. Steam shumai on parchment paper in a bamboo steamer for 9 to 10 minutes.

Why are my shumai leaning?

Steamed shumai have to be prepared to hold their shape during steaming. Shumai prepared with a dense filling should be made in a circle in the hand. Shumai with a less dense filling will not hold their shape. After preparing shumai on a work surface, you can reshape them to help them hold their shape before adding carrot slices.

Cantonese Shumai With Pork, Shrimp, and Crisp Water Chestnuts

By Liam CarterSep 29, 2026

Prep

60 min

Cook

15 min

Total

75 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Choose 80% lean ground pork for Cantonese shumai. Ground pork with fat content adds moisture and binding to Cantonese shumai stuffing made with chopped shrimp. Open-faced shrimp and pork shumai are made with small round wrappers and chopped carrots on top. Steamed shumai are small and compact and contain stuffing with mushrooms and water chestnuts.

Cantonese Shumai With Pork, Shrimp, and Crisp Water Chestnuts

Pork is mixed with tapioca starch and water to make a paste that tenderizes the filling. Peanut and sesame oils are added. Chopped shrimp, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, scallions, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper are added for flavor and texture in the filling. Dried scallops and carrots are optional ingredients that provide color and flavor.

When combining ground pork with starch and water, check that the dough is smooth and paste-like, not crumbly. To prepare dumplings for cooking, completely fill the dumpling wrapper with pork filling and form them in an upright position. Problems to avoid in dumpling preparation include excess wrapper sticking out of the top and sides of the dumpling. Repair these defects before steaming the dumplings.

Serve shumai straight from the bamboo steamer after 7 to 8 minutes of cooking time. Freeze raw dumplings on a sheet of parchment paper until firm before storing in a freezer bag. Steam frozen shumai without thawing.

Why you'll love this recipe

80% lean ground pork contains enough fat to make the steamed filling moist. Tapioca starch and water are added to help hold the filling ingredients together.
Chopped shrimp provides texture contrast to the pork filling in dumplings. Dumplings filled with shrimp and pork have more varied textures than dumplings filled with pork.
Water chestnuts are used for texture and volume in the dumpling filling. A little pork and shrimp can produce a full batch of dumplings.
Dried shiitake mushrooms provide strong flavor when soaked. Fresh ginger and scallions help moderate the flavor of the pork filling.
Thin wrappers do not overpower other flavors in the dish. They are used to make Cantonese-style dim sum dishes with few wrappers, leaving the top of the dish exposed.
Dried scallops add flavor to the mixture, but pork and shrimp, along with mushrooms and oyster sauce, supply the other essential flavors for the filling without dried scallops.

Instructions

If using dried scallops, rinse and soak them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight, until soft enough to shred.

Shred the soaked scallops with your hands; you should have 3 to 4 tablespoons of shredded scallops.

Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl, add the tapioca starch and water, and stir with a wooden spoon for several minutes until the pork turns paste-like.

Add the peanut oil and sesame oil to the pork mixture and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

Chop the shrimp into small 1/4-inch pieces and add it to the bowl.

Add the water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and scallions, and stir to combine.

Add the oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper, and mix until well incorporated.

If cooking immediately, line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper. If freezing, line 1 or 2 large plates or a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place one dumpling wrapper on your left hand and put about 2 tablespoons of filling in its center.

Shift the wrapper and filling over the crook of your left hand, then use a butter knife or spoon to press the filling into the gap.

Squeeze the dumpling together with your left hand, forming an “o” shape with your thumb and pointer finger to guide it into a round shape.

Use your ring finger to cradle the dumpling underneath while packing in the filling.

Fill the dumpling all the way to the top so there is no excess wrapper at the top.

Set the filled dumpling on the counter and make sure it stands upright. Straighten it with your fingers if needed, then transfer it to the lined steamer or plate.

Continue filling and shaping until you run out of filling.

Top each dumpling with about 1/4 teaspoon of finely diced carrots.

Cover the bamboo steamer with its lid.

Fill a wok with water to about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom and bring it to a boil.

Carefully place the covered bamboo steamer directly over the boiling water.

Steam the dumplings for 7 to 8 minutes.

Check a dumpling with a thermometer to see whether the meat has reached 165ºF.

Remove the steamer basket from the wok and serve.

To freeze uncooked shumai, place the lined plate of dumplings in the freezer until they harden.

Transfer the hardened shumai to a freezer bag.

To cook frozen shumai, place them on a parchment-lined bamboo steamer without defrosting and cook for 9 to 10 minutes.

FAQ

Select ground pork with an 80% lean meat ratio. This is the type of meat specified for the stuffing. Adding ground pork fat helps retain moisture in the stuffing when adding a starch liquid. Leaner ground pork stuffing is likely to be less moist and less cohesive. Whip the ground pork for several minutes until it becomes paste-like and produces a squishing sound before adding other ingredients.

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Dinner Snacks & Appetizers Pork Shrimp Asian Chinese Party

Cantonese Shumai With Pork, Shrimp, and Crisp Water Chestnuts

Name: Cantonese Shumai With Pork, Shrimp, and Crisp Water Chestnuts
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 25 to 30 dumplings
Ingredients: 6 dried scallops (6 to 8 small, or 2 large; optional); 1/2 pound 80% lean ground pork; 1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch); 1/4 cup water; 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (can substitute canola oil); 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil; 1/2 pound shrimp; 1/2 cup water chestnuts (chopped); 2/3 cup shiitake mushrooms (chopped); 1 tablespoon ginger (minced); 1/4 cup scallions (sliced); 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 25 thin round dumpling wrappers (25 to 30; preferably 3 1/4-inch diameter); 1/4 cup carrots (finely diced)

By Liam CarterSep 29, 2026

Prep

60 min

Cook

15 min

Total

75 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

80% lean ground pork contains enough fat to make the steamed filling moist. Tapioca starch and water are added to help hold the filling ingredients together.
Chopped shrimp provides texture contrast to the pork filling in dumplings. Dumplings filled with shrimp and pork have more varied textures than dumplings filled with pork.
Water chestnuts are used for texture and volume in the dumpling filling. A little pork and shrimp can produce a full batch of dumplings.
Dried shiitake mushrooms provide strong flavor when soaked. Fresh ginger and scallions help moderate the flavor of the pork filling.
Thin wrappers do not overpower other flavors in the dish. They are used to make Cantonese-style dim sum dishes with few wrappers, leaving the top of the dish exposed.
Dried scallops add flavor to the mixture, but pork and shrimp, along with mushrooms and oyster sauce, supply the other essential flavors for the filling without dried scallops.

Ingredients

Servings25

•6 dried scallops (6 to 8 small, or 2 large; optional)
•½ pound 80% lean ground pork
•1 ½ tablespoons tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch)
•¼ cup water
•1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil (can substitute canola oil)
•½ tablespoon sesame oil
•½ pound shrimp
•½ cup water chestnuts (chopped)
•⅔ cup shiitake mushrooms (chopped)
•1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
•¼ cup scallions (sliced)
•2 tablespoons oyster sauce
•1 teaspoon kosher salt
•1 teaspoon sugar
•½ teaspoon white pepper
•25 thin round dumpling wrappers (25 to 30; preferably 3 1/4-inch diameter)
•¼ cup carrots (finely diced)

Instructions

1
If using dried scallops, rinse and soak them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight, until soft enough to shred.
2
Shred the soaked scallops with your hands; you should have 3 to 4 tablespoons of shredded scallops.
3
Place the ground pork in a mixing bowl, add the tapioca starch and water, and stir with a wooden spoon for several minutes until the pork turns paste-like.
4
Add the peanut oil and sesame oil to the pork mixture and stir to incorporate. Set aside.
5
Chop the shrimp into small 1/4-inch pieces and add it to the bowl.
6
Add the water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and scallions, and stir to combine.
7
Add the oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper, and mix until well incorporated.
8
If cooking immediately, line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper. If freezing, line 1 or 2 large plates or a sheet pan with parchment paper.
9
Place one dumpling wrapper on your left hand and put about 2 tablespoons of filling in its center.
10
Shift the wrapper and filling over the crook of your left hand, then use a butter knife or spoon to press the filling into the gap.
11
Squeeze the dumpling together with your left hand, forming an “o” shape with your thumb and pointer finger to guide it into a round shape.
12
Use your ring finger to cradle the dumpling underneath while packing in the filling.
13
Fill the dumpling all the way to the top so there is no excess wrapper at the top.
14
Set the filled dumpling on the counter and make sure it stands upright. Straighten it with your fingers if needed, then transfer it to the lined steamer or plate.
15
Continue filling and shaping until you run out of filling.
16
Top each dumpling with about 1/4 teaspoon of finely diced carrots.
17
Cover the bamboo steamer with its lid.
18
Fill a wok with water to about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom and bring it to a boil.
19
Carefully place the covered bamboo steamer directly over the boiling water.
20
Steam the dumplings for 7 to 8 minutes.
21
Check a dumpling with a thermometer to see whether the meat has reached 165ºF.
22
Remove the steamer basket from the wok and serve.
23
To freeze uncooked shumai, place the lined plate of dumplings in the freezer until they harden.
24
Transfer the hardened shumai to a freezer bag.
25
To cook frozen shumai, place them on a parchment-lined bamboo steamer without defrosting and cook for 9 to 10 minutes.