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Vegan Dumplings

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Light Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Vegan
Keyword appetizer, Asian Cuisine
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 20 pieces

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • whisks
  • soup pots and frying pans
  • bench scraper
  • headstand mixer (optional)
  • non-stick trays
  • Spatulas
  • parchment paper

Ingredients

  • 1 pack wonton or dumpling wrapper (see below for handmade version)
  • 1 cup (80g) textured vegetable protein (TVP or any vegetable crumble)
  • 1 medium carrot pealed & finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed & minced
  • ¼ piece ginger peeled & chopped
  • ½ small yellow or white onion chopped
  • 2½ tbsp low sodium tamari (or regular low sodium soy sauce)
  • 3 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 large flax egg or any egg replacer (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 stalks green onions finely sliced
  • 2 stems green onions finely sliced
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • garlic chili oil (optional to serve)

FOR THE HOMEMADE WRAPPER (OPTIONAL)

  • 2 cups (250g) unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup (125-140g) hot water
  • corn starch or rice flour for dusting

Instructions

FOR THE DUMPLINGS

  • PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS. Defrost any frozen dumpling wrapper a few hours or the night before.
    Using a food processor or by hand, pulse (or chop) the carrots and celery into fine, small pieces. Set vegetables aside. Pulse (or chop) garlic, onion, and ginger until it is in fine small pieces.
    REHYDRATE YOUR TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (TVP) according to the package instructions with hot water. Drain out the TVP and squeeze out any liquids. If you are using frozen soy crumbles, you can skip this step.
    PREPARE THE FLAX EGG (or your egg replacer of choice) by whisking the ingredients in a small sauce dish. Set aside until consistency has thicken.
  • PREHEAT A FRYING PAN OR SKILLET. Lightly coat with a tablespoon of any neutral flavored oil. Sauté the aromatics such as the garlic, onions (both yellow and green), and ginger. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix in the vegetables and sauté for about 3-4 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK, the main objective is to open up the flavors of the vegetables.
    Toss in the TVP into the vegetable mixture until it is all well combined. Turn off the heat. Mix in the seasonings and flavoring ingredients. Season salt & pepper to taste. Place on a mixing bowl to cool down. Add the flax egg into the mixture and fold until ingredients can easily bind.
  • ASSEMBLE THE DUMPLINGS. Using one wrapper at a time, add a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. DO NOT overfill your dumplings. Brush (or using your fingers) coat the first half of the wrapper with water to moisten (and allow the folds to secure). Fold that half over the filling. Secure the center point of the dumpling wrapper.
    You will be making pleats on each side. Start with (either left or right) and make small folds that should go in the direction towards the center. Do the same for remaining side. Secure the folds and place on a non-stick tray or plate. Repeat this process for all the dumplings.
  • COOK. Using a soup pot, boil at least 8 cups or 64 fl oz. of water. Once water is boiled, drop dumplings into the pot to boil for about 4-6 minutes. Do not overcrowd your pot. Strain dumplings and place on a non-stick surface.
    READ! You can stop the cooking process here and eat it as is. BUT I highly recommend pan frying it to crisp the bottom and edges for a crispier texture. If you desire to pan fry, preheat a skillet to medium high heat and coat with about two tablespoons of oil. Pan fry the flat bottom surface of the dumpling until golden brown and crispy. Carefully turn on each side to brown.
    IF YOU DESIRE TO RESERVE DUMPLINGS FOR ANOTHER DAY, be sure to store in a large enough container that wil separate the dumplings from touching each other. Freeze and prepare for later use.
  • SERVE with garlic chili oil and soy sauce (tamari) for dipping. And green onions for garnish.

FOR THE HOMEMADE DUMPLING WRAPPER (OPTIONAL)

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl (heat resistant), toss in flour and salt. Whisk dry ingredients.
  • Gradually pour in hot water slowly and carefully mix with a spatula. This is a low hydration dough, meaning dough will be firmer and on a dryer side. Every flour is different and will react differently so it is never suggested to add all liquids at once.
    If the water is too hot, allow it too cool in the flour mixture before kneading. Using your hands (or a stand mixer), knead the dough until all of flour is hydrated and can all hold together into one ball. Using a clean flat surface, dust with a bit of flour and work the dough. Knead the dough until it is a smooth ball and firm to the touch. Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a wrap (to trap steam) and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • On a dusted flour surface, divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each dough lengthwise until it forms into a log shape. Then cut each log into 5-6 small equal pieces. Shape each dough pieces into small circles. And cover to avoid drying out.
  • Dust dough pieces with a bit of corn starch or rice flour to avoid sticking. Using an empty bottle, cup, or rolling pin - roll out each dough pieces into a thin circle (about a quarter-inch thin). Each wrapper should at least be roughly around 4.5" - 5" inches in diameter. Repeat the process
    Dust each wrapper with rice flour before stacking on top of each other. ALWAYS cover your dough with a wrap to trap air - this will help prevent it from drying out.
  • Store in a reusable bag for later use. Place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days OR freeze if you don't plan to use it anytime soon.