vegetarian pot stickers & wontons

by Amy on 7 April 2011

some friends hosted an asian-themed dinner party last week with kung pao chicken as the main dish. i was in charge of bringing an appetizer, + thought i’d stay on the asian track to keep the flavors cohesive. i had bookmarked these vegetarian pot stickers a while ago + knew this was the perfect time to try ’em!

with the party a couple of hours away, i ran to the store to pick up the ingredients only to find, hmm, no dumpling skins. i didn’t have enough time to hit up a second store, so i just grabbed wonton wrappers + decided to run with it. luckily, they turned out wonderfully even with the slight adaptation.

the savory vegetables + seasonings work perfectly with the delicate dumpling skins or wonton wrappers. to add a bit of heat, try the spicy soy dipping sauce listed below the recipe. i made that to accompany them for the dinner party, although when i ate more the next day (+ photographed ’em) i just served them with my beloved sriracha. they were so tasty that i then made another dozenĀ + froze ’em, so i’ll get my fix whenever i’m craving a healthy, tasty, little asian snacker.

vegetarian pot stickers

makes 20-24 pot stickers or about 34 wontons, adapted from ming tsai

ingredients

1 red onion sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup white cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup chopped garlic chives or chives
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 package round dumpling skins, also called gyoza (preferably twin dragon brand)
salt to taste
canola oil

directions

in a wok or large saute pan, add a little oil + saute onions + ginger. add the mushrooms + stir. add the cabbage, carrots + chives. season. when mixture is soft, place in colander to drain. add the sesame oil + cilantro when mixture is cooled. check for seasoning.

using the gyoza skins (or wonton wrappers), make half moon dumplings keeping the bottom flat. in a hot non-stick pan, coat with oil + place in dumplings. when bottoms gets brown, add 1/4 cup of water + immediately cover. this will steam the dumplings. carefully watch the dumplings + completely evaporate the water so that the bottom gets crispy again + sticks to the pot.

spicy soy dipping sauce

ingredients

1/3 cup thin soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup sliced scallions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sambal

directions

combine all in a small bowl + serve immediately.

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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

1 ErinsFoodFiles April 7, 2011 at 9:26 am

Looks like art! Too delicious to eat… almost!

2 amy April 7, 2011 at 11:05 am

almost indeed! as soon as i was down photographing these, i chomped ’em right down. =)

3 sarah April 8, 2011 at 7:50 am

These look awesome and its such a great picture. I gotta try em!

4 amy April 8, 2011 at 8:06 am

thanks! i think you’ll love ’em, especially with the spicy dipping sauce. =)

5 Jenni April 12, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Made these last night and the kids loved them. I didn’t fry them but just boiled them in lots of salty water. That’s how they make them in China.

6 amy April 12, 2011 at 12:08 pm

awesome! i’m so glad you liked ’em. aren’t they delicious?! thanks for the tip about boiling them. i do love the crispy little bottom they get with the pan-fry, but that’s a nice option for when i want a lighter + healthier option. =)

7 Ellachanted April 17, 2011 at 12:51 am

Oh my gosh, they look so good! & thanks for letting me know how well the freeze!
Such a great thing to keep in the freezer :)

8 amy April 17, 2011 at 8:23 am

not a problem – i’m a huge fan of freezing for future use, so i always like to know how well things freeze, too. hope y’all love ’em!

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