You are probably very aware of my dumpling obsession by now. I make them myself a lot, rarely the wrappers but always the filling. These vegan dumplings are full of flavour and texture and such a delight.

I love the intense flavour of shiitake mushrooms, but they are rather expensive so I usually use half shiitake and half button or field mushrooms. Adding water chestnuts men’s you have an amazing crunchy texture through out. The ginger and spring onion add loads of flavour without overwhelming the mushrooms.

i have included instructions on how tosteam them and how to cook them as golden crispy bottomed pot stickers. My favourite way is to eat them as pot stickers but steaming them is actually easier if you’re worried about adding water to oil – it will spit so you do need to be careful!

I cook the mixture a little first to enhance the mushroom flavour and make everything meld together better when you eat it. This only takes an extra couple of minutes and is so worth it.

Makes 40 approx

Ingredients

200g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

200g cup mushrooms, finely chopped

200g water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1/2 cup very finely sliced spring onion

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/2 tap white pepper

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine

1 tsp soy sauce

40 dumpling wrappers

oil to cook with I use extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine mushrooms spring onion and ginger. Heat a medium fry pan on medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Once hot add the mushroom mix and cook for a few minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.

Take off the heat and transfer into a bowl. Add the water chestnuts, white pepper, cooking wine, and soy sauce and mix well to combine.

You can now decide whether you’d like to steam or a pan fry and how you’re like to fold. You can do what i have done for the steamed option and place the mixture in the middle of the wrapper, wet the edge and then gather the wrapper into the middle and twist to secure.

Or you can go the pot sticker route and place 1 tsp of mixture into the centre of the dumpling wrapper, wet the sides and then fold in half to make a semi circle. Pinch and fold the edge to make the pattern you see above. You can see a video on how to do this here.

If steaming, place in a lined steaming basket above simmering water and secure with a lid. Steam for 7 minutes or until the dumpling wrappers look cooked. You may need to cook on batches depending on your steamer size.

If making potstickers, heat a medium non stick pan on medium high heat and add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. I like to cook in two batches, so that i can remove in one circle as per the image but you could do a huge pan and just present on one big platter.

Once the oil is hot add the dumplings with the flat bottom down and the pinched area sticking up. You do not want them to be touching, do two batches if you have to. Fry for a few minutes until the base of the dumplings is golden and crisp and then add enough hot water to come 1.5cm up the side of the pan. Place a lid on the pan and steam/ boil until the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and continue to fry until the bottoms are crisp again.

Loosen from the pan with a spatula and turn out, or just remove one at a time.

Serve with your favourite dipping sauce, I love chilli oil, soy and black vinegar.

HH. x