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1
Toss the shredded Chinese cabbage with a pinch of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze it firmly and thoroughly in both hands until as dry as possible; residual moisture will dilute the filling and impede sealing. Combine the drained cabbage with the pork mince, nira, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Mix just until the ingredients are combined — overworking toughens the texture. The filling is ready when it holds together as a cohesive mass without visible pooling of liquid.
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2
Lay a gyoza wrapper flat and place a scant tablespoon of filling at its centre, keeping the edges clear. Moisten the rim with a damp finger. Fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon, then pleat the front edge in three to five folds against the flat back edge, pressing each pleat firmly to create a tight seal. A clean, secure seam prevents splitting during cooking. The finished gyoza should sit flat on its base without rocking.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies: heat the neutral oil in a wide, lidded frying pan over medium-high heat. Arrange the gyoza flat-side down in a single layer without crowding. Fry without moving them for 2–3 minutes until the base is a deep, even golden-brown. Adequate oil and uninterrupted contact are essential; a pale or uneven base cannot be recovered in later stages. Lift one gyoza briefly — the base should be a uniform mahogany gold.
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4
Pour in enough cold water to reach approximately 1 cm depth in the pan. Immediately place the lid on and allow the gyoza to steam over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this period; escaping steam will extend the cooking time and risk an undercooked interior. The gyoza are ready for the next stage when the wrappers appear translucent and swollen, and the hiss of active steaming has quietened.
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5
Remove the lid and allow any remaining water to evaporate fully. Once the pan is dry and the base has recrisped, pour the katakuriko solution (1 tsp potato starch dissolved in 100 ml cold water, stirred immediately before use) evenly over and around the gyoza in a thin stream. Replace the lid for 1 minute, then remove it and allow the starch layer to set and turn translucent and lacy over medium heat. The hane (lacy wafer) is ready when it has dried to a crisp, papery sheet connecting all the gyoza — it will lift cleanly at the edge when nudged with a spatula.
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6
Slide a wide spatula beneath the entire hane and invert the round onto a serving plate in a single motion, gyoza base-up with the lacy wafer face-up. The hane should remain intact as a continuous, golden, translucent skirt. Serve immediately alongside the dipping sauce of equal parts soy and rice vinegar finished with a few drops of ra-yu. The crispness is at its peak in the first minutes after plating.