Crispy & Chewy ‘Ganpung Mandu’: An Ultra-Simple Recipe with Frozen Dumplings
Crispy & Chewy ‘Ganpung Mandu’: An Ultra-Simple Recipe with Frozen Dumplings
An Easy Yet Elegant Dish! Ganpung Mandu Recipe Using Frozen Dumplings
Craving a special dish but short on time? This recipe transforms simple frozen dumplings into an elegant treat in minutes, rivaling restaurant quality! Enjoy ‘Ganpung Mandu’ – crispy fried dumplings coated in a sweet, savory, and tangy Ganpung sauce. It’s the perfect snack for a midnight craving, a delightful supper, or an ideal companion for a solo drink. If you’re feeling peckish but don’t want a heavy meal, this dish is your answer. Its subtly stimulating sweet, salty, and sour profile is guaranteed to awaken even the most dormant appetite. While this recipe uses frozen dumplings, the versatile Ganpung sauce can be wonderfully adapted for leftover fried chicken, shrimp, or even snacks from a local shop. Keep this handy sauce recipe in your culinary repertoire!
Main Ingredients- 12 frozen dumplings
- 1/2 stalk green onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Optional Vegetables- 1/4 onion
- 1 Korean chili pepper (cheongyang)
- 1/4 bell pepper
Special Ganpung Sauce- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp vinegar
- 1/4 onion
- 1 Korean chili pepper (cheongyang)
- 1/4 bell pepper
Special Ganpung Sauce- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp vinegar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the vegetables that will add wonderful flavor to our Ganpung sauce. Finely chop the green onion. Dice the onion, bell pepper, and Korean chili pepper if you’re using them. While the optional vegetables are great additions, green onion and minced garlic are essential for a delicious Ganpung flavor. If you don’t have the optional vegetables, consider using a bit more green onion. If you have no other vegetables available, use 1 Tbsp of minced garlic and about half a stalk of green onion.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. While you could mix the sauce directly in the pan, it’s safer and easier to pre-mix it to avoid burning the ingredients when the heat is on.
Step 3
Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan and fry the frozen dumplings until golden brown. While an air fryer works, pan-frying in oil gives the dumplings a wonderfully crispier exterior and superior taste. Fry them on all sides until they are golden and the skins are delightfully crispy. Once cooked, place the dumplings on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Step 4
We’ll use the same pan with the leftover oil to make the sauce. Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté over low heat, being careful not to burn it, until fragrant. Once the garlic aroma is released, add all the prepared vegetables and stir-fry briefly. You don’t need to cook them until they are very soft; just until they slightly soften.
Step 5
Pour the pre-mixed Ganpung sauce into the pan with the sautéed vegetables. Let it simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste the sauce as it simmers and adjust the consistency as needed to ensure it’s not too salty.
Step 6
Once the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency, add the fried dumplings to the pan and toss them quickly to coat. The key here is speed! Toss the dumplings rapidly to ensure they are evenly coated with the sauce without becoming soggy. As soon as the dumplings are glossy with sauce, transfer them to a serving plate and enjoy them while they are hot!
