Caribbean Boiled/Fried/Baked Dumplings

I am so obsessed with these little dumplings right now! And not the typical Asian ones that are filled with a little something something either, these plain flour dumplings are typically eaten in the Caribbean, made to accompany a main dish. 

I used the recipe from Cook Like a Jamaican

I am going to test boiling, frying and baking these little dumplings! 

Recipe

Makes 3 dumplings. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cold butter
• 0.18 cup of cold water (slightly less than 1/5 cup OR 1/4 rice cup)

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 
2. Add butter, mix and rub into flour mixture until it feels like fine crumbs.
3. Stirring with a spoon, gradually add water, then knead into a dough, add just enough water so that all the flour comes together into a dough.
4. Cover with cling film and let rest for 30 mins.
5. After 30 mins knead a little more.
   
   
   After 30 mins and then kneading, the dough should be smooth. 
6. Prepare your method of cooking the dumplings either by:
   Filling a pot 3cm high with water and allowing to boil;
   Filling a pot 1 cm high with cooking oil and heating on medium heat;
   Preheating the oven to 165 degrees C and ling a baking tray with baking paper/foil. 
7. Split dough equally into 3 pieces. (roughly the shape of golf ball)
8. Shape the dumplings, traditionally they have a little dent in the middle.
   
9. BOIL/FRY/BAKE away! ;D

After boiling for 5 mins...

...Soft, chewy, dough goodness to serve on your plate!

After frying for 5 mins and turning over occasionally to brown both sides evenly...

...They are just like a plain doughnut! :D They are wonderfully crisp on the outside with that dough dough doughy *take me to heaven now* center.  I find this fried version works beautifully with a spicier course.  I filled them with roasted pecans, sugar and cinnamon one time and coated it with an extra layer of sugar and cinnamon. 

Make it doughnut for me! ;D

You could go crazy with all the fillings you could put in these fried dumplings to turn them into doughnuts! Krispy Kremes ain't got nothing on me with my pan n hot oil!

After baking in the oven for 20 mins at 165 degrees c... 

...This isn't a very traditional way of cooking dumplings, its my take on a more healthier version of frying... But for me, once you've had a bite of the fried version, its fried dumplings all the way! Healthy baked version can just go down the drain! Nevertheless, if you're looking for that crisp exterior soft centre alternative, I guesssss this baked version will suffice... It just hasn't got that extra crisp shell and extra doughy centre of the fried version.