Hi friends! It’s been a minute since my last post, and to be honest, there were a few reasons for my absence, the main one being that I felt like I’d lost my spark for cooking and recipe development. But today, something shifted! I got into the kitchen, started cooking, and the result was so delicious I just couldn't keep it to myself and my husband (who might actually be the reason I got my spark back, since he joined me in the kitchen today!).
Vegan, nut free | 60 dumplings | SIDE
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 250g vegan mince
- 360g firm tofu
- A handful of chopped cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 small piece of ginger
- 2 spring onions
Sauce for the filling:
- 1/2 teaspoon white miso paste (soybean paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon gochujang (hot red pepper paste)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- A splash of unagi sauce
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of 5 spice Chinese seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic granules
- Freshly cracked pepper
For the wrapping:
- 60 dumpling wrappers
- Water
Serve with:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Sesame seeds
- Spring onions (green parts)
- Chilli oil
Steps:
1.Sauté the mince with a splash of oil (I used olive oil).
2.In the meantime, add the tofu in a food processor and pulse for a few minutes to crumble it. Once the mince has browned, add the tofu and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.In the same food processor, add the cabbage, carrots, garlic and ginger and pulse until you get small pieces. Then add the pulsed veggies and white parts of the chopped spring onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the aromatics release their flavours, stirring occasionally.
4.In the meantime prepare the sauce, by mixing all the ingredients together along with a bit of warm water (around 50ml).
5.Add the sauce into the pan and stir it through for a few minutes.
6.Taste to adjust the seasoning to your preference, then transfer the mixture into a large bowl, add the green parts of the spring onions, mix and set aside to cool down.
7.Then add a teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each dumpling wrapper, use your finger to add some water on the sides of the wrap. Then fold and pleat the edges to seal the dumpling securely. You can start by folding the dumpling in half and pinching the wrapper together at the meeting point at the top.
8.Place the dumplings you want to cook immediately on a warm pan, along with some oil for a couple of minutes, to give them a nice crispy bottom, then add 50ml or so of warm water, cover the pan to create steam and cook them for 2-3 minutes.
9.Once the water has been fully evaporated, add the soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sauté for a minute or two until they get a lovely color.
10.Serve with some steamed rice, edamame beans and chili oil to complete the experience!
Enjoy!
Notes:
*Make sure that dumpling filling is not hot when you are about to fill it in the dumpling wrappers.
*If you are not cooking all 60 dumpling at once, place them on a single layer on a tray and add then in the freezer, once frozen, you can add store them in zip lock bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
*To cook them from frozen, place your dumplings in boiling water for 3 minutes or until they float on top. Then you can place them in a hot pan, along a splash of oil, sesame seeds and soy sauce.