Thai pork and sago dumplings (saku sai moo)

This Thai street snack isn't so hard to make once you have the knack of forming the sago “dough” into a thin disc then wrapping it around the mince filling. These mightn’t have the same ultra-thin exterior as they do in Thailand but no matter, they are still utterly delicious!

Credit: China Squirrel

• makes

  24

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large brown shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1.5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 300 g pork mince
• 1½ tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaved palm sugar
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 50 g (⅓ cup) roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 325 g sago
• Soy sauce and coriander sprigs, to serve

Soaking time 10 minutes

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium then add the shallots, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until light golden. Add the mince then cook, stirring to break up the meat, for 3 minutes or until it has changed colour. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, pepper and 35 g (¼ cup) of the peanuts then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is quite dry. Remove from the heat and cool.

Meanwhile, place the sago in a bowl, add 625 ml (2½ cups) boiling water and stir to mix well. Stand for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle then, using your hands, knead until very pliable. Take a slightly heaped tablespoonful of the mixture in wet hands and form into a 7 cm disc in the palm of one hand. Place a heaped teaspoon of the pork mixture in the centre of the disc, then using the palm of your hand, cup the sago disc around the filling. Use the fingers of your other hand to bring the edges up over the filling to meet in the middle. Squeeze the edges together gently with your fingers to seal and form an enclosed ball, pinching off any excess sago mixture. Place on a lightly oiled dinner plate, large enough to fit into a large bamboo steamer and leaving room between each ball for expansion. Repeat the process with the remaining sago mixture and the filling. You will need more than one plate.

Place a large bamboo steamer in a wok or large saucepan filled with enough boiling water to come just to the base of the steamer. Place a plate of the balls in the steamer then cover and cook for15 minutes or until the sago is soft and translucent. Repeat with remaining plates of balls. Serve with soy sauce for dipping. Scatter over the remaining peanuts and the coriander then serve immediately.

Photography, styling and food preparation by china squirrel.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.