Veggie Gyoza

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 pack of gyoza wrappers
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 2.5 cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stalks removed and caps diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 200g Chinese leaf (napa cabbage), finely shredded
• 1/2 tsp iodized table salt
• 2 tbsp dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of Chinese leeks, finely sliced (or 100g / 1¾ cups diced green part of a standard leek)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp light (soft) brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
• A pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Dipping Sauce

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinking black rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp chili oil

Directions

Gyoza

1. Heat the neutral oil for the filing in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then tip in the diced shiitake mushrooms and gently fry for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, cabbage, and salt.
4. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables have wilted and some of the moisture has cooked off.
5. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan and that there is enough room between the vegetables for air to circulate.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the sautéed vegetables to a mixing bowl.
7. Let them cool before adding the wood ear mushrooms and Chinese leeks (or diced leek).
8. Add the remaining filling ingredients and combine well, then leave in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
9. Take a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place 1 large teaspoon of filling in the middle.
10. Bring the edges of the wrapper together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling, adding some pleats if you want to. Refer to the photo of my crappy pleats in the camera tab.
11. Place the completed dumplings, spaced at least 1 cm apart, on a tray lined with baking paper.
12. Repeat this process until the filling is used up.
13. To cook the dumplings, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat.
14. Add some of the dumplings to the pan, spaced at least 1 cm apart, and cook for 3-4 minutes, after which the bottoms of the dumplings will become brown and crisp.
15. Add enough boiling water to fill the pan to a depth of about 1 cm.
16. This will create a burst of steam, so make sure your face is a safe distance away (lol)! Cover the pan and leave the dumplings to gently simmer for 6-8 minutes until all the water has evaporated.
17. Fry the dumplings tor 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. This Will loosen them from the bottom of the pan and make them easier to scoop out.

Dipping Sauce

1. Mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve alongside the gyoza.