Vegan Potstickers (Pan-Fried Dumplings/煎饺)

Juicy shiitake mushrooms, shredded cabbage and carrots, and scallions form the savory filling for this vegan version of Chinese pork dumplings. Pan-fried, the dumplings are golden and crispy on the bottom and the perfect appetizer/party food. You can also cook them in a pot of boiling water for tender boiled dumplings, shui jiao. Serve with a dip of vinegar and soy sauce and a dab of piquant chili oil.

Feel free to use pre-made dumpling wrappers for convenience— available frozen or refrigerated in Asian supermarkets— but I’ve included a dough recipe below for homemade wrappers. The dough only requires water, flour and salt, and it’s fun to shape the dough and roll out the wrappers. You can also try out these two-toned green and white dumpling wrappers for a striking presentation.

The name for pan-fried dumplings is 锅贴 (guo tie) in Chinese, which means “sticking to the pot.” The cooking method combines both frying and steaming. Initially covered with a small amount of water in the pan, the dumplings steam and become tender and juicy, but gradually, as the water continues to evaporate, they begin to brown on the hot surface of the pan, rendering the delightfully crisp, golden “bottoms” that give them their name.

Ingredients for the Potstickers:

Ingredients for the filling:

• Shiitake mushrooms.
• Finely shredded cabbage.
• Shredded or julienned carrot.
• Scallions. Finely chopped, both white and green parts
• Ginger.
• Onion.
• Soy sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil.
• Shaoxing cooking wine.
• Sugar.
• Ground white pepper

The filling is cooked beforehand; this is important for vegetable dumplings, since raw cabbage/carrots/mushrooms tend to release a lot of liquid when cooked. By pre-cooking and then seasoning the filling before wrapping, you ensure the dumpling is both juicy and flavorful.

Instructions

Make the dough:

Combine flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center, and gradually add the boiling water, stirring with a spoon until the mixture forms clumps. Cover and let rest for five minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cold water and knead into a ball, then cover and let rest as you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

Heat oil in a large work or skillet over medium high heat and stir-fry ginger and onions until translucent. Add in chopped mushrooms and stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes until liquid is evaporated, then add cabbage and carrots and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until most of the liquid from the vegetables is released. Add chives, wine, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and salt, and cook one more minute, then remove from heat. Taste and add more salt or sesame oil as necessary (you want the filling to be quite salty/well-seasoned, as the flavor mellows in the dumplings). Place filling in the fridge to cool.

Form the dumplings:

Divide the dough into two portions, and knead well. Roll each portion into a 1 inch diameter rope, and cut into small tablespoon-sized pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. Dust the working surface with flour and roll each piece out into a flat disc. Add a generous amount of filling and pleat the edges, pinching tightly to seal.

Here is a good tutorial for pleating a dumpling!

Optional step before frying: dip the bottom of each dumpling in water and then in a layer of white sesame seeds to coat.

Fry the dumplings:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat, then place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup (or a thin layer) of water into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated, then remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp.

Enjoy immediately! For an easy dipping sauce, combine two parts Chinkiang vinegar (or rice vinegar) with one part soy sauce and a dash of hot chili oil.

Notes for making Vegan Mushroom Potstickers:

• I used fresh shiitake mushrooms. You could also other varieties, but I recommend shiitake mushrooms as they have the most flavor.
• Instead of shredding the cabbage and carrots by hand, I simply chop them into rough chunks and process them in a food processor a few times.
• If you have access to Chinese chives, use them instead of scallions!
• Don’t skimp on the oil for this recipe– it’s important for the flavor and mimics the fattiness of traditional meat dumplings.
• To freeze, place the uncooked potstickers on a tray for 30 minutes to freeze individually, then store in a freezer bag.

More recipes with mushroom:

• Vegan Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings
• Crispy Kale and Shiitake Mushroom Fried Rice
• Creamy One-Pot Mushroom Miso Pasta

If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below. Or tag me on Instagram @hannah__chia, I love seeing your re-creations!

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