Homemade Dumplings

Dumplings are made in various parts of Europe, likewise in the United States, Central and South America, Asia and also in the Middle East. They are actually cooked balls of dough, which can be based on flour, potatoes or bread and they may also include meat, vegetables, fish or sweets. The cooking method used to make dumplings at home can range from boiling, steaming, simmering, frying to baking. They can be made sweet for desserts or spicy or savory for a main course. Dumplings are eaten alone, with soup, with gravy, or as a part of other presentations.

How to Make Dumplings from Scratch
This is a traditional recipe to make dumplings. It does not make use of any fancy ingredients, but ingredients available in any functioning kitchen.

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour 1 cup
• Baking Powder 2 teaspoons
• White Sugar 1 teaspoon
• Salt ½ teaspoon
• Margarine (or Butter) 1 tablespoon
• Milk ½ cup
• Stew to boil the dumplings

Method

• In a mixing bowl, stir all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
• Add butter pieces and mix to make crumbly dough.
• Now add milk to the dough and knead to make soft dough.
• Drop a spoonful of dough into the boiling stew, cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
• After 15 minutes, check if the dumplings are ready.
• Serve the dumplings hot.

Dumplings for Chicken Soup
To greet the first chills of autumn, what can beat a steaming meal in a bowl of chicken soup topped with delicious homemade dumplings? We will see how to make soothing and filling chicken soup and dumplings now.

Ingredients For Chicken Soup

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 12 ounces
• Olive Oil 1 tablespoon
• All-Purpose Flour 2 tablespoons
• Dried and Crushed Thyme ¼ teaspoon
• Homemade Chicken Stock 2 cups
• Onion (cut into wedges) ½
• Fresh Green Beans (cut into 1 inch pieces) 1 cup
• Grated Carrots 1 cup
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Water 1 cup

Ingredients For Dumplings

• All-Purpose Flour 1 cup
• Yellow Cornmeal 1/3 cup
• Grated Cheddar Cheese ¼ cup
• Milk ½ cup

Method

• Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
• Add chicken pieces to the oil and sauté the chicken pieces till they are brown in color.
• Sprinkle flour and crushed thyme over the chicken and stir well.
• Now add chicken stock, water, onion wedges, beans and grated carrot.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the beat, cover and let it simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, we will prepare the dumplings.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal and cheese.
• Add milk to the dry mixture until the mixture reaches the consistency where you can drop the batter into the soup.
• Make about 8 dumplings from the batter and drop it into the soup.
• Cover the soup, after you have dropped all the dumplings into the soup and let the soup simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes till a wooden toothpick inserted into the dumpling comes out clean.
• Ensure, you do not open the lid of the saucepan for the time the soup is simmering.
• Serve the soup and dumplings in a serving bowl.

There are a few tips which you may want to know when you are making homemade dumplings. Ensure that the soup or stew is on a gentle simmer, when you add dumplings to it. The stew or soup should not be boiling, else the dumplings will not become tender. After you have added the dumplings, let the soup or stew simmer on low heat to avoid the contents from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and burning. To drop the dumplings you can either make use of teaspoons, or tablespoons if you want large dumplings. You need not worry about shaping the dumplings, as they puff up as they cook.