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Gun-mandu are crispy-bottomed dumplings filled with juicy pork, tofu and vegetables. They are a staple of Korean snack bars and a holiday favorite made by the hundreds. This keto version uses a tender mozzarella and almond-flour wrapper that browns beautifully in the pan.
Per serving: 557 calories · 5.8 g net carbs · 31 g protein · 46 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 3 ounces firm tofu squeezed dry and crumbled
- 1 cup finely chopped napa cabbage salted and squeezed dry
- 2 scallions or a small handful of garlic chives finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil for frying
- Dipping sauce: 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, pinch of gochugaru
Instructions
- Make the filling: mix the pork, tofu, cabbage, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper until sticky. Chill while you make the wrappers.
- Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Mix in the almond flour and egg and knead into a dough. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 16 balls. Roll each between two sheets of parchment into a thin 3 1/2-inch circle.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold into a half-moon and pinch the edges firmly to seal. Keep the finished dumplings on parchment.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the dumplings flat side down and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden on the bottom.
- Carefully turn them, cover the pan and cook on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes, until the filling is cooked through (160°F/71°C inside). Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Mandu are thought to have reached Korea from Central Asia through China, probably around the 14th century during the Goryeo dynasty. In Korea, families gather to fold dumplings together before the Lunar New Year, and mandu-guk, dumpling soup, is a holiday favorite. Gun-mandu means "grilled" or pan-fried dumplings, while jjin-mandu are steamed and mul-mandu are boiled. Dumplings have long been especially popular in the colder northern regions, where rice was harder to grow and large, hearty mandu were common. Dumplings were once believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead.
This recipe is from The Ultimate Korean Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 2: Snacks & Banchan (Gwangjang Market). See all Korean recipes