Dexter Chou and Linda Hung have perfected the art of making gluten-free dumplings.
“The best dumplings I’ve ever tasted,” is how celebrity chef and naturopath Janella Purcell describes them, and she is not the only one who raves about these delicious snacks served at Linda and Dexter’s stall, Radiance Kitchen, at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday.
Originally created in response to requests from their customers, Dexter and Linda’s dumplings are also dairy free, sugar free, and come in a vegan option, which means everyone can enjoy them.
“People are so happy to find us, because they haven’t been able to eat dumplings and now they can,” said Linda.
Despite eating dumplings all of his life, Taiwanese-born Dexter hadn’t heard of a gluten free version until he started the stall at the market about seven years ago.
Encouraged by customers, he began experimenting with gluten free flours, and after two and a half years of trying, eventually came up with the perfect dumpling skin, made with brown rice flour and potato starch. These are filled with ingredients such as organic tofu, chicken, and prawn, along with fresh local vegetables from the market and Dexter and Linda’s home garden.
Dexter and Linda also make a traditional pork dumpling with wheat flour and a badzang – a sticky rice dumpling, and sell take home boxes of frozen dumplings, which can be stored in the freezer and streamed as needed.
Each and every dumpling Dexter makes is shaped and filled individually by hand, with care and attention to detail: “I always put my whole heart and soul into the process,” says Dexter.
It is a hugely time-consuming process, and one that has grown as the popularity of the gluten-free dumplings has taken off, but Dexter says he loves the work, and is constantly buoyed by the positive feedback they receive: “It’s really good, it gives us more energy…we really appreciate the support from our customers.”
Find Radiance Kitchen at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday.
