Appetizers

Vegetarian Dumplings

Posted by iavogoodmeal on

It took us the longest time to make dumplings at home: we always got the Trader Joes Vegetable Gyoza (which we still love) but over quarantine decided we wanted to branch out and make the fillings based on our own taste! The first time we made these dumplings, we bought wonton wrappers at the grocery store. They turned out great but we love stuffing as much veggies as we can in our dumplings and found the wonton wrappers too thin. So we decided to try our hand at making the wrapper from scratch – surprisingly easier than we thought it would be: flour, water and salt. The harder part is having a consistent thickness when you roll out the dough – when you are rolling make sure to constantly turn the dough clockwise so that you get an even spread.

The filling we developed is super easy to throw together – it honestly takes longer to finally dice the veggies than it does to cook  it!!! The best thing about this recipe is the customization, we have subbed tofu for paneer and added Indian spices to make these Indo-Chinese style dumplings. It would also be great pierogi style with potatoes and cheese – haven’t tried it yet but if you do, let us know!!! 

Tips & Tricks

  • For the veggies – feel free to make it your own, we love the meatiness of the mushrooms with the crispness of cabbage: you can use either Angel Hair Coleslaw and skip cutting or buy Napa Cabbage
  • For mushrooms, we use a mix of white and shiitake mushrooms to get a combination of textures and umami
  • We like to pan fry the tofu in advance and then crumble it to give the filling some crispiness – you can easily skip this step but may sacrifice a little bit of texture in the filling 

Recipe Information

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 dumplings

Ingredients

  • Dough
    • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • ~3/4 cup of warm water 
  • Dumpling Filling
    • Cabbage 
    • Shredded Carrots
    • Onions, diced
    • Serrano/Jalapeno, diced
    • Mushrooms (mix of standard white mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms for umami)
    • Pan Fried Tofu, crumbled/diced small
    • Bell Pepper, diced small
    • Ginger Powder
    • Garlic Powder (or fresh garlic)
    • Cayenne Pepper
    • Salt/Pepper
    • Bowl of water to dip your fingers into

Directions

  1. Dough:
    • Mix flour and salt together.
    • Slowly add water and combine the dough.
    • Once the dough has incorporated all of the flour and isn’t sticky, kneed for 3-5 minutes.
    • Tips: Add more flour if the dough feel too sticky.  Wet your fingers and kneed if the dough feels dry (don’t pour water)
    • Let dough rest as you prepare the filling
  2. Filling: 
    • Saute onions and serrano peppers in a wok with a few tsp of oil
    • Add veggies to mixture and saute
    • Add ginger, garlic, cayenne, salt/pepper
    • Add tofu crumbles, if you desire
    • Once the filling is cooked, set aside to cool
  3. Dumplings:
    • Dust some flour onto your counter (or work surface) where you’ll roll out dough
    • Pinch off a tablespoon-sized ball of dough from the bulk dough
    • Roll out the dough into circles roughly 3-4” in diameter, and thin (not too thin that it rips easily)
    • Add a 1-2 spoonfuls of filling to the middle of each dough circle
    • Wet the edges of the dough with water using your fingers
    • Pinch together and pleat the edges in half to create a dumpling 
    • Pan Fry Dumplings:
      • Pan/Skillet over medium-high heat
      • Add some oil to pan to coat the bottoms evenly
      • Place dumplings with bottom side down and let it cook for 2-3 minutes in the oil
      • Add some water (~1/2 cup) to the pan and cover with a lid to steam for 6-8 minutes
      • Steam until water has evaporated.
      • Dumplings are done when they don’t stick to the bottom and can be moved around pan easily.
      • If desired, Add a small amount of additional oil to the pan and continue cooking to create the crispy signature bottom of the dumpling
    • Steamed Dumplings
      • You can also steam dumplings in a steamer basket for 8-10 minutes
    • Freeze any uncooked dumplings you have made for later enjoyment
  4. Serve with your favorite dumpling sauce, sriracha, chili garlic sauce, sweet and sour dipping sauce, or other favorite