Wash the cabbage thoroughly, keeping the core attached, and blanch it briefly. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water.

Finely chop all the vegetables marked with ○. For a crunchier texture, chop coarsely; for a softer texture, chop finely.

Place the chopped vegetables, ground pork, and all ingredients marked with ☆ into a bowl. Mix by hand until the mixture becomes sticky.

The filling is ready when it looks like this.

After blanching and squeezing the cabbage, cut it and the other ○ vegetables into pieces and place them in the food processor.

Pulse several times (don’t run continuously) until the vegetables are finely chopped.

Transfer to a bowl, add the ground pork and all ☆ ingredients, and mix by hand until sticky.

Moisten the edge of a gyoza wrapper with a little water using your finger, then place a spoonful of filling in the center.

Fold the wrapper in half, pleating the front edge as you go, and press to seal tightly.

Make about 6–8 pleats per gyoza. Be careful not to overfill, or the filling may spill out when sealing.

The back side should look like this.

Repeat until all the gyoza are wrapped.

Heat a frying pan, add a little vegetable oil, and arrange the gyoza in the pan. Cook over medium heat.

When the bottoms are golden brown, add 1/3 cup (100 ml) water (enough to come about 1/3 of the way up the gyoza), cover with a lid leaving a small gap, and steam.

When the water has evaporated, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and gently shake the pan to coat the bottoms of the gyoza.

When the bottoms are crisp and golden and you smell the sesame oil, they’re done.

Transfer to a plate and serve. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.

You can also arrange the gyoza in a circle, with the sides touching, before cooking.

Thank you for making this recipe popular! On March 21, 2014, it became a featured recipe. Thank you to everyone who made it and shared their feedback.