Annabel Karmel's moneybag wontons recipe

Moneybag wontons are a delicious choice for a kids dinner, especially if they are interested in trying new tastes and textures.

This might seem like a daring recipe to try with kids - lots of us didn't have much access to lovely foods like dim sum when we were growing up, and it's easy just to rely on old familiar favourites. But we find kids love this recipe - and they really like helping to make the little moneybags as well. There's something so pretty and pleasing about a bite-sized sack of food. You will need a steamer for this recipe - either a traditional bamboo one, or a modern pan insert. Make sure to line it or the little bags will stick (as we found out the hard way).

Ingredients

• 30g (1oz) baby spinach leaves, well washed
• 125g (4½ oz) raw prawns, shell on
• 4-5 water chestnuts, quartered
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp grated fresh root ginger
• 1 tsp mirin (sake/rice wine)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce, plus extra for dipping
• 12 wonton wrappers (available from Asian supermarkets in the chilled section)

Method

1. Put 1 tbsp of water in a medium pan and heat until steaming. Add the spinach, cover and cook for 1-2 mins, until the spinach has wilted. Drain and allow to cool slightly, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
2. Transfer the spinach to a food processor, add the shelled prawns and water chestnuts, and whiz briefly, until chopped. Add the onions, ginger, mirin, sugar, oyster sauce and soy sauce, and pulse until the prawns are roughly chopped.
3. Lay a wonton wrapper on a chopping board and dampen the edges. Put 2 tsp of the filling in the centre of the wonton and bring the corners together. Pinch just above the filling to seal. Alternatively fold over to form a triangle.
4. Sit the wonton on a baking sheet lined with cling film, and cover with another piece of cling film. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling. The wontons will sit, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours. If keeping any longer, follow the freezing instructions (below).
5. To cook, line the base of a steamer basket with a circle of non-stick baking parchment (or you can use lettuce or Chinese cabbage leaves instead) and place the wontons on top. Sit the steamer over a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam for 8 mins, until cooked all the way through. Serve with extra soy sauce for dipping.

Top tip for making Annabel Karmel's moneybag wontons

Annabel recommends keeping the pile of wonton wrappers covered with damp kitchen paper and a piece of cling film to stop them drying out.

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