Dim sim is a type of wheat dough dumpling filled with meat and vegetables, popular in Australia. They are deep fried or steamed and eaten as a snack or side.
Dim sim is affectionately called dimmies and while they aren’t the same as dim sum, they are related. Dim sum refers to the collection of Chinese dumplings and other small dishes traditionally enjoyed with tea. Siu mai is one such dumpling which is usually filled with shrimp and pork then steamed. The first dim sim drew its inspiration from Cantonese sui mai.
Dimmies are filled with pork and vegetables like cabbage. Some are also filled much like the original siu mai, with pork and shrimp or prawn.
Meat was scarce due to the ongoing world war around the time dim sims were created, so they were filled with more vegetables like celery and a combination of pork and veal. The dough of dim sim is made thick so it can withstand frying. It also helps with shaping. Dim sim are larger than traditional dumplings.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Dim Sim originated in Australia in the 1940’s. Its creator was William Chen Wing Young who was a Chinese Australian businessman.
Cantonese sui mai was already gaining popularity in Australia at the time and Mr Young initially started selling dim sims as a way to employ Chinese people who had come to Australia during the gold rush forty years earlier and were now unemployed and too old for heavy work.
Frying rather than steaming them was not done intentionally but became the most popular way to eat them. The name dim sim was simply at attempt to make them easier to pronounce at that time. Now dim sim is a normal accompaniment for fish and chips.
Australian Dim Sim (Dimmies) Recipe
Australian Dim Sim is a type of filled dumplings. The wheat dough dumplings are filled with meat and vegetables. They are deep fried or steamed and eaten as a snack or side.
Ingredients
- Flour - 2 1/2 cups
- Hot water - 1/2 cup
- Cold water - 1/3 cup
- Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
- Flat iron steak or chicken thigh - 1.1 lb
- Pork chop - 1.1 lb
- Pork or chicken fat - 3 1/2 oz.
- Chinese five spice seasoning - 1/2 tsp
- Cabbage (loosely chopped) - 1 cup
- Green onions (diced) - 4
- Carrot - 1
- Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
- Fresh ground pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Sift the flour into the bowl and pour the hot water over it.
- Mix very well and add the cold water.
- Add the oil at the end if needed.
- Knead the dough a little until it is smooth and elastic.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and place it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
- Place the meat, fat, and carrot into a food processor and pulse it until the carrot is finely chopped and the meat is a sticky mince.
- Add the five-spice seasoning, spring onions, soy sauce, and some ground pepper, and give one more quick pulse.
- Add the finely-diced cabbage and the soy sauce.
- Cover the meat mixture with cling wrap and let it cool in the fridge for half an hour. If not sticky enough, add a tablespoon of cornstarch and mix it through.
- Roll the dough out thinly on a floured board and cut it into squares.
- Take a dessert spoon of the meat mix and place it in the center of the pastry square.
- Fold the four corners into the center to make a parcel.
- Make a fist and squeeze the parcel on the sides to force the meat downward, making the classic elongated shape.
- Heat up some frying oil.
- Carefully slide the dim sims into the oil.
- Fry until golden all over
- Serve with the chili sauce
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 10g
Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.
Photo Credit: Sharon Robards