How to Make Vegetarian Potstickers
Lovers of Chinese dumplings are sure to enjoy vegetarian pot stickers – stuffed with a fresh, flavourful mixture of sautéed vegetables, and wrapped up in store-brought wonton skins, these pot stickers make for a quick and healthy appetiser or main. Serve with a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar for dipping.
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour and 30 min
Yield: 24 pot stickers
Utensils: Wok or saute pan, bowl, spoons, non-stick pan, serving plates.
Ingredients:
Red onion, sliced: 1
Minced ginger: 1 tablespoon
Sliced shiitake mushroom: 1 cup
White cabbage, shredded: 1 cup
Carrot, shredded: 1 cup
Chopped garlic sprouts or 1 cup chives: 1 cup
White pepper: 1 teaspoon
Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
Chopped cilantro: 1/4 cup
Package wonton skins, also known as gyoza: 1
Salt
Canola oil
Instructions
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1
Start by preparing the filling for the pot stickers. Place a wok on the stove over medium heat (if you do not have a wok, use a large sauté pan), and drizzle in a little bit of canola oil. Toss in the onions and ginger, and sauté these until they soften.
Image courtesy: flickr.com
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2
Next, add in the mushrooms, and stir them around. Keep things moving, and wait for the mushrooms to soften too. Once they do, toss in the cabbage, carrots and garlic sprouts or chives. Stir these around for a minute or two (these should retain some of their crunch – do not soften them completely), and then take the wok off the heat.
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3
Season the vegetable mixture with salt and white pepper, and give it all a final stir. Let it rest for a minute or two, and then scoop it out into a colander, to allow all the excess oil and liquid to drain out. You can help this process along by giving the colander a few shakes.
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4
Once the vegetable mixture has cooled, pour the mixture into a bowl. Add in the sesame oil and cilantro, and taste the mixture to check the seasoning. Make any changes as per your preferences.
Image courtesy: lannapotter.com
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5
On a flat surface, make half moon dumplings with the wonton skins, keeping the bottom flat. Use a spoon to stuff these dumplings, and make sure you do not overstuff them, as this will cause the mixture to leak out. Similarly, do not under-stuff, as no one wants to eat empty fried wonton skins.
Image courtesy: catesworldkitchen.com
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6
Now, place a non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat, and drizzle in some oil. Place the dumplings in this, and when the bottoms of the dumplings start to get brown, pour in 1/4 cup of water, and immediately cover the pot. Allow the dumplings to steam.
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7
Keep a close check on the dumplings, and when the water evaporates completely, and the bottoms of the dumplings get crispy once again and stick to the pot, your pot stickers will be done. Take them out of the pan, and serve with Oriental dipping sauces.
Image courtesy: schwansfoodservice.com
