Dumpling Bake
Frozen potstickers and fresh spinach bake covered at 400°F in a spiced coconut curry broth until the wrappers turn soft and tender. Using a shallow pan gets this one-dish dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
Equipment
- 9x9 baking dish
- 3.5-quart oven-safe braiser
- lid or foil
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk
- 1-3 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (this is equivalent to ½ teaspoon salt. if you are sensitive to salt, use less)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce or lime juice (optional)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cups spinach
- 14-20 frozen dumplings (based on your baking dish size)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- ¼ cup sliced scallion greens (for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 1-2 tablespoons chili crisp (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F while you assemble the dish. A fully heated oven lets the broth begin steaming promptly once the covered pan goes in.
- Pour the coconut milk into your baking dish and add 1 tablespoon curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and the optional fish sauce or lime juice if using. The liquid will look streaky until you blend the seasonings together.
- Whisk thoroughly, taste the broth, and work in up to two additional tablespoons of curry paste if the heat suits you. Look for an evenly colored mixture without concentrated lumps of curry paste.
- Fold the spinach through the broth and spread the coated leaves across the bottom. Moistened leaves settle beneath the dumplings and wilt into the sauce as they cook.
- Set the frozen dumplings into the broth with their pinched folds facing down, then spoon liquid across every exposed top. The wrappers should look damp rather than dry before you cover the pan.
- Seal the dish with a lid or tightly fitted foil and bake for 20 minutes with 14 dumplings in a shallow pan, or 30 to 40 minutes in a deeper dish or with more dumplings. Bubbling sauce around the edges shows that the liquid is hot, but the filling still needs a doneness check.
- Check that the dumplings are tender and cooked through, continuing the covered baking as needed or leaving the dish uncovered for the final 5 minutes if you want thicker broth. The wrappers should feel soft, and some become slightly translucent, although wrapper appearance alone does not confirm that the filling is done.
- Take the dish out of the oven and scatter chili crisp, cilantro, scallion greens, and sesame seeds over the dumplings. The finished dish should have plump wrappers, steaming curry broth, and fresh, contrasting toppings.
Notes
Texture tip: Position the dumplings with their pinched folds facing down in the liquid and spoon broth over the exposed tops before sealing the pan so the wrappers stay soft and moist.
Ingredient tip: Red curry paste heat varies widely between brands like Mae Ploy and Thai Kitchen, so start with 1 tablespoon and taste the whisked broth before adding more.
Storage: Gently lift leftover dumplings out of the pan and refrigerate them in an airtight container separate from the curry sauce so the wrappers do not absorb too much liquid.
Reheating: Warm your portion of dumplings and sauce together in a covered oven-safe or microwave-safe dish, adding a splash of water or broth if needed, and spoon liquid over the tops rather than stirring vigorously.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.