I absolutely adore dumplings, I almost think there is nothing better and there is a chance that I could eat a world record’s worth of them. I really love the simple old school dough ball dumplings. On a cold night with a large dollop of veggie stew, they are such a comfort food.
When you read about veggie dumplings, likelihood is they’re referring to something that is a bit different to the dough balls your granny made you, unless your granny is of Asian descent!! Vegetable dumplings are much lighter, they are little wonton pockets of vegetables. They are absolutely delicious and walk that fine line between a healthy bite and a stodgy comfort food.
Here is a recipe for making your own vegetable dumplings. Veggie dumplings do have a lot of ingredients but if you use ready made wonton wrappers, it will make the prep much easier. This recipe is a variation of one I found on the food network. They take about 50 minutes to prep and 10 – 15 minutes to cook.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound firm tofu
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Bowl of water, plus additional water for steamer
• 35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
• Non-stick vegetable spray, for the steamer
Instructions:
Cut the tofu in half horizontally and lay between layers of paper towels. Put on a plate and then place a weight on top and let stand for about 20 minutes.
Cut the tofu into 1/4-inch cubes
Add the cabbage, red pepper, carrots, ginger, sesame oil, scallions, soy sauce, hoisin, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.
Follow instructions on your wonton wrappers, putting 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture in the center of each one. Keep damp until all your mixture is gone – using damp paper towel will help.
Place in steamer of choice, cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes making sure the wontons are not touching each other. You will probably cook 6 – 10 at a time. Keep in over until all the dumplings are cooked.
Enjoy!
