Pancit molo, or pork dumpling soup, originated from the Molo district in Iloilo City in the Philippines. Influenced by the wonton soups brought in by Chinese settlers, it consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrappers which are then cooked in a chicken broth. The piping-hot soup is garnished with green onions and fried garlic for even more flavour.
Initially, I wasn’t sure why this dish has pancit as a prefix – where are the noodles? In the Philippines, pancit typically refers to dishes made with noodles. However, after researching, I discovered the pancit is actually the molo or wonton wrappers made of the same basic ingredients as any pancit/noodles!
It’s really a heap of fun making these dumplings. It takes some practice to get the shape right and make sure they hold together, but it’s worth the effort! Plus, the recipe quickly makes 50 dumplings, so there will be plenty left over, and they freeze fine.
To me, the key to a delicious pancit molo is broth. If you have time, you should make it yourself; otherwise, only use a high-quality bought broth.
Authentic Juicy Pancit Molo Recipe
Ingredients
Dumpling Ingredients
500 grams ground pork (minced pork)
4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
¼ cup green onions (scallions or green shallots) - chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce- 1 tablespoon tahure
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch salt
24 small wonton wrappers
Broth Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion - finely chopped- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
2 cups chicken breast - cooked and shredded
6 cups chicken stock (chicken broth or chicken bouillon)
1 teaspoon fish sauce- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic - fried
- 1 tablespoon green onions (scallions or green shallots) - chopped
Instructions
Dumplings Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the pork, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and tahure, then mix well to combine.
- Season with black pepper and a little salt.
- Place a wonton wrapper on a board, then add a teaspoon of the mixture in one corner.
- Take the corner and fold the wrapper to the centre, tucking it under the meat to form a triangle with a wide base.
- Take the two sides of the wrapper and fold it towards the centre. Use water to secure the edges so the filling won’t come out when cooking. (Refer to the picture above to help with wrapping the dumplings)
Broth Instructions
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, then add the garlic and onion. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour in the broth. Bring to the boil, season with the patis and black pepper, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Gently place in the dumplings, and boil for about 7 minutes until they are cooked through.
- Place some broth and dumplings in a bowl, and garnish with the fried garlic and green onions. Serve.
