Recipe video above. 4 years in the making, my favourite vegetable dumpling! These are a standout because you can actually taste the vegetables and it's got good texture, rather than just being a wad of tasteless, watery mush which is sadly all too common.Don't get too hung about about the wrapping part. If the pleating is too challenging, just seal it flat. Quicker, easier, and it tastes exactly the same. :)
Wilt cabbage 20 min, squeeze. Soak mushrooms 30 min, squeeze, finely chop. Mix with remaining Filling ingredients. Wrap. Pan fry 2 min, 1/4 cup water, pan-steam 5 min.
Full recipe - filling:
Prepare cabbage - Toss cabbage with 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes. Then grab handfuls and squeeze out excess water as best you can. Place squeezed cabbage in a bowl for mixing the filling in.
Shiitake mushrooms - Soak mushrooms in 1 litre of boiling water for 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and finely chop into 2 mm pieces. Add to the filling bowl.
Potato - Add grated potatoes to filling mix, including all the liquid that leached out when you grated it. We want all that starchy juice for its binding power!
Filling - Add remaining ingredients into the filling bowl, mix to combine. It will look crumbly - don't worry, everything sticks together better when steamed thanks to the potato.
Wrapping:
Dumpling wrappers - Take one wrapper from the packet. Keep unused wrappers covered so they don't dry out.
Wrap dumplings - (See video at 1m 30s!) Place a wrapper in your non-dominant hand. Dip your index finger in water and run it along the lower half of the wrapper (edge closest to you). Place 1 loosely-packed tablespoon of filling in the centre. Fold the wrapping over the filling, then seal with pleats. (If this is too hard, skip the pleats and seal flat).
Finished dumplings - Stand dumpling upright with the pleats on top, and lightly press down to flatten the base. Shape gently into a slight curve. Place on a tray lightly dusted with cornflour/cornstarch. Repeat for remaining dumplings. Keep completed dumplings covered with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out. If you're making ahead, cover dumplings with cling wrap and refrigerate. See storage notes.
Cook (pan-frying + steaming):
Cooking vessel: Use a large non-stick pan with a lid (Note 6).
Pan fry: Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Pan fry 12 to 15 dumplings for 2 minutes until the base is golden brown.
Steam: Pour over 1/4 cup water over the dumplings in the skillet - it will steam and bubbly vigorously! Place the lid on and steam for 5 minutes or until the water in the pan has evaporated.
Cooked! Remove the lid. The water should have been driven off, and the wrapping should be semi-transparent (indicating it is cooked). The base should be crispy again. If not, leave the pan uncovered for a bit until the base crisps up again in the oil.
Serve: Scoop the dumplings up with a spatula and place on a serving plate. Serve with soy sauce and chili paste for dipping, or rice vinegar mixed with soy sauce. Best served fresh - I get another batch cooking as we eat the freshly cooked ones!
Steaming-only option:
Using either a bamboo steamer set over a large wok with simmering water, or other larger steamer. Line with a fitted sheet of parchment paper with holes, and steam the dumplings for 8 minutes.
Notes
1. Dried shiitake mushrooms are better than fresh as they have a more intense flavour and won't make the filing watery. Find them in Asian stores and the Asian aisle of large grocery stores.To substitute with fresh mushrooms, finely chop then sauté in a little oil until the water leeches out and it's dark brown. Cool then measure out 1 cup lightly packed. You'll probably need around 250g / 8oz mushrooms.2. Tofu - be sure to use firm tofu, labelled as such. Soft tofu and soft silken tofu is too delicate.3. Potato - the secret ingredient! It binds the filling when cooked so it doesn't crumble out everywhere while eating. Raw potato is superior to starch powders like cornflour/cornstarch, rice flour etc which make the filling unpleasantly mushy. Only 2 tablespoons makes all the difference!4. Sesame oil - Use toasted (brown-coloured oil, standard in Australia) rather than untoasted (yellow).5. Dumpling wrappers - Round white wrappers sold in the Asian fridge section of large grocery stores (I use Double Merino from Woolworths) and Asian grocers. They come in packs of 30 or so, so if you don't think you'll use them again soon, just get 1 packet. Else, if you're a regular dumpling maker, get 2 packs as the filling is enough for up to 35 dumplings.6. Lid - To trap the steam inside the skillet to cook the dumplings. Use one from any other pot or skillet, as long as it is the same size or larger than the skillet circumference. Alternatively use a baking tray.7. Storing - Uncooked dumplings will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, either in an airtight container (single layers) or on a tray covered with cling wrap. They can also be frozen for 3 months. Thaw before cooking.Cooked dumplings can be kept for 3 days. Best to reheat in the microwave or steamed again. But as mentioned right upfront, it is not the same as freshly made!