Gyoza With Chicken, Water Chestnuts and Coriander Pesto

These are a delicious variation on traditional gyoza and a great appetizer. They are far easier to make than the recipe/ingredients might suggest. The coriander pesto can be used for other things - yummy tossed through some warm udon noodles and smoked salmon or grilled chicken! I take credit as the creator of this recipe - although the coriander pesto recipe came courtesy of my mother. This is one of those recipes that is quicker the more you make it. Making the gyoza might take more time for first time gyoza makers!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 40
• Yields: 40 gyoza

Ingredients

• 40  round  gyoza skins (available at Asian grocery stores)
• 1  skinless chicken breast, minced
• 300  g  canned water chestnuts
• 1  small  brown onion, diced
• 2  stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2  cups fresh coriander leaves
• 1  tablespoon fish sauce
• 2  tablespoons  oil
• 1  tablespoon  spoon  sweet chili sauce
• 1  liter water

Directions

1. Make the coriander pesto by blending all ingredients from 'brown onion ' to 'sweet chili sauce' together in a food processor or blender.
2. Drain and chop the water chestnuts and put into a mixing bowl. Add the minced chicken and mix together.
3. Stir through the coriander pesto until all ingredients are mixed together. Work in batches of 10-12 for the remainder of the recipe.
4. Place about 12 of the gyoza wrappers on a kitchen benchtop.
5. Place a teaspoon of the mixture on each gyoza wrapper, placing the mixture on one 'half' of the wrapper.
6. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little bit of water (I usually dip my finger in the water, and then run it round the edge of the wrapper).
7. Fold the wrapper in half and press the edges together to seal. You'll need to press/pinch all round the edges to ensure a tight seal. The gyoza should be crescent/semi-circular shaped.
8. Heat a medium/large sized fry pan and add some spray oil or additional cooking oil.
9. When the pan is hot, add the gyoza and cook until slightly golden on each side - this should be a couple of minutes each side. Be careful when turning the gyozas over as the wrappers will be slightly soft and stretchy.
10. When both sides are browned, add some water to the pan so that the base is covered. There should be about .5 cm of water on the base.
11. Place a lid over the pan, and 'steam' cook for about 1-2 minutes.
12. Remove the gyoza from the pan by sliding a flat spatula underneath them.
13. Tip out any excess water from the pan, carefully wipe dry with a tea towel or kitchen paper and start again with the next batch.