In a cooking pot, combine brown sugar, water, light soy sauce, star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. Mix well.

Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat.

Once it boils, simmer on low until it thickens.

Next, make the red chili oil. For a quick and easy version, place the chili flakes and white sesame seeds in a heat-resistant bowl.

Heat oil in a pan until it sizzles.

Carefully pour the hot oil to heat the chili flakes and white sesame seeds. You will know the oil is hot enough when the chili flakes and sesame seeds sizzle. Alternatively, you can also follow the in-depth version of my chili oil

Cook the ready-made dumplings in boiling water for about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overload the pot with too many dumplings to cook them evenly and prevent them from sticking together.

If you are making your dumplings, you can also follow the pork filling I used from my dumpling skirt .

To make the filling of the dumpling skirt recipe, mix the minced pork, chopped shiitake mushrooms, corn kernels, green onions, and ginger. Season with salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and oil.

Mix the filling thoroughly.

Make the dumpling wrappers or use store-bought wrappers.

Place the filling in the center of the wrapper and fold it into a half-moon shape. Make sure to seal the ends well by pinching. You can also refer to my guide on 7 Ways To Fold Dumplings, which includes images and videos for better understanding. If it is not sealed properly, the dumplings will burst open while boiling.

Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water and boil for 6 to 8 minutes or until they float.

Place the dumplings in a serving bowl and pour the spiced sweet soy sauce and red chili oil over the dumplings.

Top it off with chopped peanuts and green onions.

Serve it with hot rice, noodles, or on its own!