Fried Mandu
Crisp, pan-fried Korean dumplings filled with pork and vegetables, whose flavor becomes a quietly devastating clue in Oldboy.
- prep
- 40 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 55 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
In Oldboy (2003), the protagonist's obsessive attention to the exact taste of the mandu he's been fed for years becomes a crucial, unsettling clue as he slowly pieces together the truth behind his imprisonment, turning an ordinary plate of fried dumplings into one of the film's most quietly disturbing details.
The real technique behind a good mandu is pan-frying the bottom first, then steaming briefly with a splash of water, then crisping again, which gets you a dumpling that is properly browned outside and fully cooked within.
Part of our 40 famous movie foods list.
method
Mix the ground pork, crumbled tofu, squeezed cabbage, garlic, ginger, spring onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper together thoroughly.
Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a dumpling wrapper. Wet the edges, fold in half, and pleat or pinch to seal securely.
Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
Heat a little oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
Pan-fry the dumplings flat-side down for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden on the bottom.
Add a splash of water, cover, and steam for 3 to 4 minutes, until the filling is cooked through.
Uncover, and let any remaining water evaporate, crisping the bottoms again for another minute.
Serve hot with the soy-vinegar dipping sauce.
chef's tips
- Squeezing the salted cabbage thoroughly dry before mixing it in is essential; skipping this step leaves the filling watery and the dumplings prone to bursting.
- The pan-fry, steam, then crisp-again method gives mandu a bottom that's properly crisp while the filling cooks all the way through, rather than burning the outside before the inside is done.
- In Oldboy (2003), the protagonist's obsessive attention to the taste of mandu he's served becomes a crucial, unsettling clue as he pieces together the truth behind his imprisonment, turning a plate of dumplings into one of the film's most quietly disturbing moments.
- Sealing the dumplings firmly matters more here than in a boiled dumpling, since pan-frying and steaming in the same pan puts more stress on the seal.