Last Updated on June 23, 2021 by Simon Fan
Wontons can be enjoyed in different ways: in a tasty broth, tossed with seasonings without a broth, or pan-fried like pot stickers.
In this dish, boiled wontons are served youpo (油泼) style. My recipe is inspired by youpo mian (油泼面) or “oil-splashed noodles,” which is an iconic dish from Shaanxi (陕西), a northwestern province in China with a long and rich history and fascinating culinary traditions.
To prepare youpo mian, freshly made noodles are boiled, drained, and topped with coarse chili powder along with other spices and aromatics (such as sliced scallions and ground Sichuan pepper). Very hot oil is then poured onto the toppings to scald them and releasing their alluring aromas. Once “oil-splashed,” the noodles are tossed with seasonings. That’s youpo mian in its most basic form. From there, you can create endless variations with other additions, such as sesame seeds, peanuts, leafy greens, mung bean sprouts, bell peppers, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, or ground meat. For the locals, youpo mian is more than a dish—it’s a way of life, and a reflection of their bold and straightforward character.
Without a doubt, the star of youpo mian is chili powder. A good chili powder brings more than heat to the dish—it’s fruity, smoky, sweet, and spicy at the same time. Shaanxi locals make their chili powder with sun-dried local chilies, renowned for their crimson color and rich aroma.
For the same reason, the quality of the chili powder is paramount when you try this wonton dish. For best results, make your own following my recipe below. If you opt to use store-bought chili powder, try to find one that’s coarsely ground and is not blended with other spices.
This dish is fairly straightforward if you’ve made wontons before: fold and boil the wontons, sprinkle them with the chili powder, pour hot oil on top, and then drizzle with soy sauce and vinegar. For the wonton filling, I use ground pork and chopped bok choy. Feel free to use any filling you like. Check out this post for a vegetarian filling as well as a different way of wrapping wontons.
Youpo wontons (油泼馄饨)
Makes 24 wontons
Ingredients
Filling
6 ounces (170 g) Shanghai bok choy
6 ounces (170 g) ground pork (or chicken)
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger, peeled
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
24 square wonton wrappers
1 teaspoon coarse chili powder, homemade (see recipe below) or store-bought
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Zhenjiang (Chinkiang) vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
- Separate the bok choy into individual stalks. Blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute. Transfer them to a colander, rinse under cold water to cool, and then drain. Wrap the bok choy in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and wring out the water, then chop them finely, and squeeze again to remove excess water.
- Place the pork in a bowl. Grate the ginger, squeeze its juice into the pork, and then discard the solids. Mix in the salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and wine, stirring vigorously in one direction with your hand or a pair of chopsticks until the pork mixture resembles a sticky paste, about 1 minute. Add the bok choy and oyster sauce, and stir in the same direction until well incorporated. Let stand for 10 minutes for flavors to blend.
- On a work surface, lay out a wonton wrapper in front of you and place a portion of the filling (about a scant tablespoon) in the center of the wrapper. Moisten the top edge as well as halfway down the left and right edges of the wrapper with water. Fold in the top edge over the filling to be about ¼-inch (6 mm) above the bottom one. Press to seal the edges.
- Moisten the upper right corner with water. Holding the wonton in your hands, slightly lift the center while bringing the two corners around to overlap, with the right corner underneath. Press to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Cook the wontons in boiling water until they stay afloat and cooked through. Drain them well in a colander, then transfer them to serving plates (or bowls). Sprinkle the chili power on top. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and vinegar.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan until very hot, then pour it over the wontons. Drizzle with the soy sauce and vinegar, toss, and enjoy!
Coarse chili powder
1 oz (30 g) dried chilies, preferably moderately spicy and very fragrant
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Use a pair of scissors to cut off and discard the tops of the chilies (including the stems). Snip the chilies into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Keep the seeds.
Place a wok or skillet over very low heat until hot, then add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the chilies and stir constantly until they are fragrant and have slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool. Once cooled, use a spice grinder or food processor to grind them to a coarse powder. Alternatively, you can pound them in a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight jar.
