Weeknight veggie gyoza

1 HOUR 15 MINUTES + CHILLING

MAKES 24 | EASY |

Gyoza, a type of Japanese dumpling, are usually filled with pork and initially pan-fried before being steamed. They are served as a snack all over Japan, washed down with a beer, and are incredibly moreish. The wrappers are extremely thin, and for this reason I never bother making them myself – some things are best left to the machines. The wrappers defrost quickly, which means you can throw these little crispy mouthfuls together even when you’re short of time. If you aren’t confident about pleating the filled wrappers, simply seal them closed.

gyoza wrappers 24 (defrosted if frozen – see cook’s notes on p26)

neutral oil (such as groundnut or sunflower) for frying

FILLING

neutral oil

1 tbsp

garlic 2 cloves, crushed

ginger 21/2cm piece, finely grated

dried shiitake mushrooms 8-10, soaked, stalks discarded and caps diced

carrots 2 medium, grated

chinese leaf 200g (about 1/2 a head), finely shredded

dried wood ear mushrooms 2 tbsp, soaked and roughly chopped (see cook’s notes on p26)

chinese leeks 1 bunch, finely chopped, or

leeks 100g, finely chopped (green parts only)

toasted sesame oil 2 tsp

shaoxing rice wine 2 tbsp (see cook’s notes on p26)

light soy sauce 2 tbsp

soft light brown sugar 2 tsp

vegan oyster sauce 1 tbsp

ground white pepper a pinch DIPPING SAUCE

light soy sauce 1 tbsp

chinkiang black rice vinegar

(see cook’s notes on p26)

chilli oil 1/2 tbsp (such as groundnut or sunflower) 1 tbsp

• Heat the oil for the filling in a large, heavybased frying pan over a medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant, then tip in the shiitake mushrooms and gently fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, chinese leaf and 1/2 tsp of fine sea salt. Fry for another 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables have wilted and some of the moisture has cooked off. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan and that there is enough room between the vegetables for air to circulate.

• Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the vegetables to a mixing bowl. Let them cool before adding the wood ear mushrooms and leeks. Add the remaining filling ingredients and combine well, then chill for 15 minutes to firm up.

• Take a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and put 1 heaped tsp of filling in the middle. Bring the edges of the wrapper together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling, adding some pleats if you want to (see the step-by-step pictures, right). Lightly wet the edge of the wrapper with your finger if they need help sealing. Put the completed dumplings, spaced at least 1cm apart, on a tray lined with baking paper.

• To cook the dumplings, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add some of the dumplings to the pan, spaced at least 1cm apart, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bottoms of the dumplings become brown and crisp.

• Add enough just-boiled water to fill the pan to a depth of about 1cm – this will create a burst of steam, so make sure your face is a safe distance away. Cover the pan and leave the dumplings to gently simmer for 6-8 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Fry the dumplings for a further 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. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve alongside the gyoza.

PER GYOZA 62 KCALS | FAT 2.7G

SATURATES 0.2G | CARBS 7.7G | SUGARS 1.4G

FIBRE 0.7G | PROTEIN 1.5G | SALT 0.6G