Yes — freeze them uncooked on a tray first so they do not stick, then store in a bag for up to 2 months.

Steamed, boiled or fried?

Any of the three. Pan-fried (gun-mandu) gives crisp bottoms, steamed are the juiciest, and boiled are softest.

Can I make my own wrappers?

Yes — knead 2 cups flour with about ¾ cup water and a pinch of salt, rest 30 minutes, then roll thin circles.

Mandu (Korean Dumplings) Recipe

Mandu are Korean dumplings filled with a juicy mix of pork, tofu, glass noodles, bean sprouts and garlic chives — and often kimchi. They can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried or dropped into soup, and a big batch freezes perfectly.

📝 How to make mandu

Wrap the tofu, bean sprouts and kimchi in a cloth and squeeze out as much water as you can — this is the key to dumplings that are not soggy.

Mix all the filling ingredients by hand for about 2 minutes, until sticky.

Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper, wet the edge with water, fold into a half-moon and pinch to seal. Bring the two corners together for a round shape if you like.

Steam for 10–12 minutes over boiling water on a lined steamer, or boil until they float and then 1 minute more, or pan-fry the bottoms until golden, add a splash of water and cover to steam (gun-mandu).

Serve with the dipping sauce.

To freeze, lay uncooked dumplings on a tray without touching, freeze until firm, then bag them. Cook from frozen.

💡 Tips for the best mandu

Pan-fry a teaspoon of filling to taste it before you start folding.
Squeezing the moisture out of the vegetables and tofu matters more than anything else.
For vegetarian mandu, replace the pork with more tofu, mushrooms and glass noodles.

Mandu in Korean food culture

Mandu are especially loved in winter and at Lunar New Year, when they go into tteok-manduguk, a soup of rice cakes and dumplings. Families often fold dozens together. Northern-style mandu, from what is now North Korea, are large and mild, while kimchi mandu are tangy and spicy.