Steamed Chicken and Water Chestnut Dumplings

Chicken: Place all the ingredients, except the water chestnuts, in a food processor and pulse to combine. Tip into a bowl and stir in the water chestnuts. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Line a large steamer basket with a piece of baking paper that has been pierced all over with a skewer. This lets the steam through.

To assemble: Brush the edges of each wonton wrapper with water and place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Gather the edges up over the filling, gently squeezing the sides to pleat but leaving the centres uncovered. Arrange in the steamer basket, slightly apart. Place the steamer basket over a wok or saucepan of boiling water, cover and steam for 8-10 minutes or until the dumplings are firm to the touch and cooked through. Cook the dumplings in batches if necessary.

Dipping sauce: Whisk the ingredients in a bowl, adding wasabi to taste.

Serve the dumplings hot with the dipping sauce. Makes about 20

Cook’s tip: Look for a soya bean paste with no MSG.

Pantry note
Water Chestnuts: An edible tuber from a water plant found in South East Asia. They are rather bland but have an incredible crunch. Buy them in tins and already peeled from Asian grocery stores or the international section in supermarkets.