Khanom Kuichai

Khanom Kuichai (Thai Garlic Chive Dumplings)

A classic Thai street snack of chewy, translucent rice-flour dumplings filled with garlicky chives, steamed and often pan-seared for a crisp base. Served with a sweet, tangy chilli dipping sauce.

Prep

45 min

Cook

25 min

Total

70 min

Serves

4 (about 20 dumplings)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •150 g (5¼ oz) rice flour, glutinous rice flour is NOT a substitute; use plain rice flour
• •60 g (2¼ oz) tapioca starch, also sold as tapioca flour
• •250 g (9 oz) garlic chives (kuichai), Chinese chives; regular chives are too mild
• •3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce, or thin soy sauce (see note)
• •5 g (1 tsp) sugar, white sugar
• •1 g (¼ tsp) white pepper, freshly ground
• •2 g (½ tsp) salt, plus more for the dough water
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) water, for the dough, plus extra for steaming
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) sweet chilli dipping sauce, store-bought Thai sweet chilli sauce, or see note below
• •10 ml (2 tsp) rice vinegar or lime juice, to sharpen the dipping sauce
• •5 g (1 tsp) fish sauce, optional, for the dipping sauce

Steps

1. 1 Make the filling: rinse the garlic chives, pat dry, and trim off any tough ends. Finely slice the chives (about 5 mm / ¼ inch). In a bowl, toss the chives with the minced garlic, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper and salt. Set aside for 10 minutes so the chives soften slightly and release a little moisture, then drain off any liquid that pools.
2. 2 Make the dough: in a small saucepan, bring the 200 ml water with a pinch of salt to a rolling boil. Place the rice flour and tapioca starch in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water in all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
3. 3 Knead the dough: when cool enough to handle, add 1 tablespoon oil and knead the dough for 3–5 minutes until smooth, pliable and no longer sticky. If it cracks, wet your hands slightly and keep kneading. Cover with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out.
4. 4 Wrap the dumplings: pinch off pieces of dough about 25 g (1 oz) each (about 20 pieces). Keep unused dough covered. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a round about 7–8 cm (3 inches) across, thicker in the centre and thinner at the edges. Place about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre.
5. 5 Seal: gather the edges up and around the filling and pinch firmly to seal into a half-moon or rounded pouch. Any small tears will leak during steaming, so press the seam tightly. Place on a lightly oiled plate or a square of baking paper, not touching.
6. 6 Steam: line a steamer basket with baking paper or a damp cloth and brush lightly with oil. Arrange the dumplings with space between them. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 10–12 minutes. Doneness cue: the wrappers should turn translucent and glossy, and the filling should look bright green and wilted. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the centre should reach at least 75°C / 167°F.
7. 7 Optional pan-sear: heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the steamed dumplings and fry for 2–3 minutes, without moving them, until the base is golden and crisp. This is traditional for khanom kuichai and adds texture.
8. 8 Make the dipping sauce: stir the sweet chilli sauce with the rice vinegar (or lime juice) and fish sauce, if using. Taste - it should be sweet, tangy, salty and spicy. Thin with a teaspoon of water if it's too thick to coat the dumplings.
9. 9 Serve: arrange the dumplings on a plate, spoon over a little extra sauce or serve it alongside for dipping. Eat while hot - the wrappers firm up as they cool.