Ingredients for wheat starch dough (18  wrappers)

• 1 1/4 cup wheat starch plus 1/4 cup tapioca flour, or 1 1/2 cups wheat starch * note
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Instruction

1. In a medium bowl. combine the wheat starch, tapioca flour, if using, and salt. Add the boiling water and the oil and stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. While the dough is still very hot, turn it out onto a board dusted with wheat starch.
   
    
2. Knead until smooth, adding a little more wheat starch if necessary. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
   
    
3. Divide the dough into thirds. Use your palms to roll each portion into an 8-inch cylinder. For this chive recipe, cut each cylinder into 6 pieces. Cover with plastic to keep moist while you flatten each piece.
   
    
4. To make round dumpling wrappers, wheat starch dough can be sandwiched between squares of baking parchment and then pressed flat using downward pressure on the flat side of a cleaver blade or the flat bottom of a pan. The result will be an almost perfect circle. Afterward, if you stil want your circles larger or a little thinner, roll them out lightly with a rolling pin before peeling away the parchment. Make the circle at least 4 inch in diameter.
   
    
5. Cover the wrappers with plastic while you make the chive filling.
   

Ingredients for chive filling

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 lb chinese chives, cleaned, trimmed and cut in 1/2-inch lengths
• 4 oz. shrimps, peeled,deveined, and cut in 1/4-inch dice ( about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instruction

1. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the chives and blanch for 1 minutes over high heat. Drain the chives in a colander, nd rinse under cold water. Squeeze the chives dry and transfer them to a medium bowl. You should have about 1 1/4 cup.
   
    
2. Combine the chives with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, the shrimp, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil and cornstarch.
    
3. Spoon about 2 tsp. of the filling onto the center of a wrapper. Make 8 to 10 pleats all around the edge, bringing up the sides evenly, and then pinch closed. Turn the dumpling pinched side down, and pat it gently to flatten it into a 2-inch disk. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
   
   
    
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and then add 1 tablespoon oil. When it is almost smoking, arrange one layer of dumplings in the skillet, leaving enough room so they are not touchig one another. Cook the duplings for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, pressing them gently with a spatula, until they turn crisp and just begin to brown. Carefully add 1/2 cup water ( it will spatter), cover the skillet tightly, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes or until the dough becomes somewhat translucent around the sides. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until the water has evaporated; turn the dumplings to cook until both sides become slightly crisp and light brown. Serve hot.
   
    
   
   *Note: You may use al wheat starch, but the addition of tapioca flour seems to help sealed edges stick together better . Tapioca flour is also called "Tapioca starch".