This one’s much more simple than it looks, but it’s time consuming. Save it for a Sunday and try to rope in a significant other or potential significant other. Nothing tests your ability to enjoy someone’s company like folding scallion dumplings with them for an hour or so.

On the left...the work of a perfectionist. On the right...functional.

The recipe itself is from Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires, which is about her tenure as the New York Times’ restaurant critic and is worth reading if you’re at all curious about restaurants and how they work.

Aushak

Meat Sauce

  • 3 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbs tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in small skillet. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Add beef, garlic, coriander, and ginger and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes until meat is no longer red. Add water and cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir, and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup full-fat yogurt 
  • 1 tbs minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Blend ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Dumplings

  • 2 bunches scallions, green parts only, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 25-30 wonton wrappers

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Lay 1 tsp mixture in center of each wrapper and moisten edge. Fold over and press edges to make semicircles if your wrappers are round, or triangles if square. 

Heat 3 quarts salted water in a large pot. When boiling, add dumplings and cook for 5 minutes.

To Assemble;

Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt sauce onto a serving dish and cover with dumplings. Spoon remaining yogurt sauce on top and garnish with chopped fresh mint. Spoon meat sauce all around, and serve at once.