Love Spell Dumplings

For the dough:
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
1 tbsp. fresh yeast
1 1/4 pounds flour
2 tbsp. shortening or lard

For the filling:
1 1/4 cups ground lean pork
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. monosodium glutamate (optional)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped leek
1/2 tbsp. grated or finely chopped ginger root
1/2 cup water
lettuce leaves as required


To make the dough:
1. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, add the yeast, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
2. Sift the flour; work in the fat; then add the yeast mixture. Knead, adding more flour is necessary; cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 3 to 4 hours in a warm place away from drafts.

To prepare the filling:
3. Mix the ground pork well with the other filling ingredients until they are thoroughly amalgated.
4. Roll the raised dough into a long cylindrical sausage. Cut into 24 pieces and roll each piece into a circle with a rolling pin; each disk should measure about 4 inches in diameter.
5. Place some filling in the center of each circle of dough and enclose, forming a small ball.
6. Arrange the hsiao lung pao on lettuce leaves in the bamboo steamer and steam for 8 inutes over a moderate heat. Serve very hot.


Makes 24 dumplings. (enough to make Ranma fall in love with Shampoo.. teehee!)