Spicy Thai Red Curry Soup Dumplings

Pour chicken stock and coconut milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bruised lemongrass, galangal slices, and kaffir lime leaves. Heat until just barely simmering — do not boil or coconut milk will split.

Push aromatics to the side and add the red curry paste. Stir it in a cleared space for 60 seconds until fragrant and toasted, then stir into the stock.

Add fish sauce and palm sugar. Taste and adjust — the broth should be salty, mildly sweet, and boldly spicy. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids.

Let broth cool to 130°F / 54°C. Sprinkle gelatin over 3 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl; let bloom for 5 minutes. Whisk bloomed gelatin into the warm broth until completely dissolved.

Pour into a shallow container and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until firm but jiggly. Cut into ½-inch cubes and return to fridge until needed.

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add just-boiled water gradually, stirring with chopsticks until the dough forms shaggy clumps.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic — texture should feel like an earlobe. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each into a ¾-inch-diameter rope and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 30–32 total). Roll each piece into a 3½-inch circle, thinner at the edges than the center.

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Mix vigorously with chopsticks in one direction only for 2 minutes to develop a springy protein network. Refrigerate 15 minutes.