Korean Gullim Mandu (Round Dumplings)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Gullim-mandu is a Korean dumpling made without wrappers.
Read more
The filling of ground pork, pressed tofu, garlic chives, onion, and soaked glass noodles is kneaded firmly until cohesive enough to be rolled into balls by hand. Each ball is then coated in potato starch or cornstarch, rolled until the surface is evenly covered, and placed in a steamer. As steam penetrates the starch coating, it sets into a translucent, chewy skin that is far thinner than standard dumpling wrappers yet carries a distinct springy resistance when bitten through. A second coat of starch before steaming produces a thicker shell with a more pronounced chew. Inside, the pork juices mingle with the sharp fragrance of garlic chives while the glass noodles contribute a soft, yielding bite. The traditional accompaniment is a dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced cheongyang chili. Gullim-mandu can also be dropped into tteok-guk or mandu-guk, where the starch on the exterior gradually dissolves into the broth and thickens it lightly over time.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Wrap the 200 g tofu in cloth and squeeze hard until it no longer drips.
Mince 80 g garlic chives and 80 g onion into 0.3 cm pieces, then cut the soaked glass noodles into 3 cm lengths.
- 2Season
Put 200 g ground pork, squeezed tofu, chives, onion, glass noodles, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt in a large bowl. Mix once so the seasoning disperses evenly.
- 3Step
Knead the filling by hand or with a sturdy spoon for about 3 minutes in one direction.
It should turn sticky and hold together when squeezed, so the dumplings do not crack during shaping.
- 4Finish
Portion the filling into 2 tablespoon mounds and roll each into a 4 cm ball.
Spread 100 g starch on a plate and roll every ball until no wet patches remain; coat twice for a chewier skin.
- 5Control
Line the steamer with a damp cloth and set the dumplings 2 cm apart so steam can circulate.
Place over vigorously boiling water, steam on high heat for 15 minutes, and keep the lid closed.
- 6Finish
After steaming for 15 minutes, split the largest dumpling and check that the pork filling is cooked through with no pink remaining.
Serve when the coating is translucent and the filling is fully cooked.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Gullim-mandu replaces traditional wrappers with a thin starch coating for a translucent finish.
- Finish cue
- Serve when the coating is translucent and the filling is fully cooked.
- Avoid this
- Space the starch-coated dumplings apart so they do not stick together or lose their coating while steaming.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 10 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 109 recipes
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