Went to a local Asian market and found my new go-to cheap meal hack

I stopped by H Mart over in Doraville last weekend (just browsing, you know?) and noticed they had bags of frozen dumplings for like $3.50 each. A single bag has maybe 40 dumplings, which is way cheaper than getting them at a restaurant. I bought three bags (pork and chive, my favorite) and they lasted me almost two weeks of lunches. Just boil or pan fry them for a few minutes and you're set. Has anyone else found a hidden gem at their local ethnic grocery store?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathankim18d ago

Those pork and chive ones are a steal, just make sure to add a splash of soy sauce and chili oil when you pan fry them so they don't dry out. Also check the freezer section for bags of frozen sliced beef or pork for cheap stir fry.

zara_sanchez18d ago

Gotta disagree with you there @nathankim. That extra soy and chili works fine for some, but it can totally overpower the taste of the pork and chive filling if you're not careful. I've ruined a batch before by adding too much sauce and ended up with soggy dumplings instead of crispy ones. Better to just use a little oil in the pan and a splash of water to steam them, then let the bottoms get golden on their own. The seasoning inside is usually plenty strong enough.

grant15517d ago

Oh man, I feel this. My grandma used to make these killer cabbage rolls, and one time I got fancy and dumped a whole jar of marinara in the pan thinking it'd be a good shortcut. Ended up with a soggy, soupy mess that fell apart as soon as I tried to flip them. She would've smacked me with the wooden spoon if she saw it. Now I just stick to the old way - a little oil, a little broth, and let the moisture do the work. Same goes for dumplings, you gotta respect the balance.