Steamed open-topped pork and chive dumplings served with a nutty sesame-lime dipping sauce.
Kanom jeeb, Thai steamed dumplings, reflect the strong Chinese-Thai culinary influence in Bangkok, where Teochew immigrants brought dumpling-making techniques that were then adapted with local seasonings like white pepper and cilantro root. The filling is a simple mix of ground pork, shrimp, and water chestnut for crunch, wrapped in thin wonton skins and left open at the top rather than fully sealed, which is the traditional kanom jeeb shape. Steaming rather than boiling keeps the filling juicy and the wrapper tender without becoming waterlogged, and it's important not to overcrowd the steamer basket so the dumplings cook evenly. A sesame-lime dipping sauce isn't classic here — dumplings are usually served with a simple soy-vinegar-garlic sauce — but the combination of toasted sesame oil, lime juice, and a touch of chili adds a bright, nutty counterpoint that works well against the savory pork filling. These make a great starter or light meal alongside jasmine rice, and the filling can be made a day ahead so all that's left to do is wrap and steam.
Serves 4
Combine ground pork, shrimp, water chestnut, cilantro root, garlic, soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix in one direction until slightly sticky and cohesive.
Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Gather the edges up around the filling, pleating gently, leaving the top open and pressing the base flat.
Line a steamer basket with parchment or cabbage leaves. Arrange dumplings with space between them so they don't stick together.
Steam over boiling water for 10-12 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the wrapper is translucent.
Whisk toasted sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and sliced chili together until the sugar dissolves.
Serve dumplings hot, straight from the steamer, with the sesame-lime sauce for dipping.
Mix the filling in one direction only — this develops a slight stickiness that keeps the dumplings from falling apart during steaming.
Don't overfill the wrappers; too much filling makes them hard to seal and prone to bursting open while steaming.
Oil the steamer liner or use cabbage leaves so the dumplings don't stick and tear when you lift them out.
Add finely chopped shiitake mushroom to the filling for extra umami and texture.
Swap pork for ground chicken for a lighter filling.
Pan-fry the steamed dumplings briefly in a little oil for crisp bottoms, gyoza-style.
Refrigerate steamed dumplings up to 2 days; reheat by resteaming for 4-5 minutes. Uncooked wrapped dumplings freeze well for up to 1 month — steam from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
Kanom jeeb reflects the Teochew Chinese community's influence on Bangkok's food scene, where dim sum-style dumplings were adapted with Thai seasonings like cilantro root and white pepper, becoming a staple at Chinese-Thai restaurants and street stalls.
Yes, thin round wonton or gyoza wrappers work well — just make sure they're thawed fully if frozen, so they don't crack when you fold them.
Finely diced jicama or a few extra tablespoons of minced celery give a similar crunch.
The filling was likely overmixed or too heavily packed into the wrapper — mix just until it comes together and fill loosely enough that the pork stays tender when cooked.
Per serving (200g / 7.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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