Add the pork into a medium-sized bowl and the rest of the filling ingredients except for the sesame oil and garlic chives.

Beat everything together in one circular direction with a pair of chopsticks or a spatula, until all the liquid is absorbed and the pork is streaky.

Add the sesame oil and Chinese chives. Mix for another minute.

Prepare a small bowl of water on the side. Cover the dumpling wrappers with damp paper towels to prevent them from drying out.

Wet the edge of a dumpling wrapper. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of dumpling filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Hold the dumpling with one hand and start sealing the edges with the other hand (watch the video below for the wrapping process). After folding, press the edges again to seal well. You can use any way to fold the dumplings as long as you’re comfortable with it. Cover the dumpling wrappers and wrapped dumplings with wet paper towels to prevent them from drying out.

Now you can freeze the assembled dumplings if you aren’t going to cook them immediately. Place them onto a baking tray and seal with plastic wrap. You can store the dumplings in the freezer for up to 1 month. Once the dumplings are completely frozen, after about a day, you can transfer them to a gallon zipper bag to save freezer space.

To boil the dumplings: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add dumplings into the water, one at a time. Use a big ladle to stir the dumplings gently in a circular motion, until the water starts to boil again, so the dumplings won’t stick to the bottom, for about 1 minute. Adjust the heat so the water is at a gentle boil. When the dumplings float to the surface, continue boiling until the dumplings are filled with air and swollen, and the dough starts to become transparent, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer all the dumplings to a plate.

To cook pan fried dumplings: Cook the dumplings in batches. Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add dumplings. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook until the dumplings are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and keep cooking until the bottom side turns golden. If using frozen dumplings, the cooking process is the same, but you will need to cook the covered dumplings for 4 minutes before uncovering the pan.

Serve the dumplings hot with some Chinkiang vinegar or dumpling dipping sauce.