Vegan Dim Sum

Dumpling. Gyoza. Pierogi. Jiao Zi. Momo. Mandu. Dough wrapped with a filling of some sort. I have always been fascinated by how so many cultures each have their own dumpling. Each of them their own method of preparation and their own traditions.

Gateway dumpling? At least it was for me.

After making my first one I have not stopped nor looked back since. Over the years, I’ve discovered that not only is it intrinsically motivating, but it can also serve as a meditation method of sorts; akin to an athlete training.

Nothing but you and the dumpling.

Tunnel vision? Maybe.

How neat can I wrap this dumpling? How many pleats can I make? How fast can I wrap a dumpling? How much filling can I wrap into it? What if I made a comically big dumpling? How small can I make it? How thin can I make the skin?

The infinite number of variations make the dumpling such a versatile dish. I’m not just talking about filling but the wrapper and the wrapping style as well. From the most basic wheat flour based gyozas to the ever so complicated starch based shrimp dumpling (har gow) … the possibilities are endless.

My first commissioned job to produce a vegan/vegetarian product was gyozas for a restaurant. It was a very basic recipe yet they managed to sell hundreds of orders every month. Cabbage, carrots, and shiitake mushroom. Three simple ingredients.

Some recipes will just cut, mix, and season, but I like to take an extra two steps: blanch the vegetables and sauté the mushrooms.

For the dough, you can buy them premade if you can source them locally or make your own. Frozen is okay too – just let the skin defrost overnight before using. Extra tip: let them sit at room temperature for a few hours and they will be even easier to wrap.

To make your own dough, it depends on the cooking method – however since the vegetable filling does not do so well boiled, we will make a dough suitable for steaming / frying.

Dough:
(A) AP Flour 125g
Boiling Water 125g
(B) AP Flour 375g
Cold Water 125g
Salt – pinch
Mix (A) together until thoroughly mixed. Add (B) and knead/mix until a smooth dough is formed.

Alternatively, we could just put all 500g of dough into the mixer, and pour a mixture of 125g boiling water and 125g cold water into the mixer at the same time, and mix until smooth.

Filling:
Cabbage (diced and blanched) – 500g
Carrots (diced and blanched) – 100g
Shiitake Mushrooms (rehydrated) – 80g

Salt – 10g
Sugar – 20g
White Pepper – Dash
Sesame Oil – Drizzle
Five Spice Powder – 1 Teaspoon

Saute the mushrooms until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with seasoning. Sprinkle potato/corn starch and mix. Repeat until gyoza filling has a more paste like consistency. Scoop up and let chill before using.