From its signature crispy shell to its decadent filling, gyoza, a true Japanese dumpling, has mesmerized taste buds around the world. Making vegetarian gyoza from scratch lets you experiment with flavors, too and it is just great kitchen therapy. In this ultimate guide you will learn a step-by-step vegetarian gyoza recipe, from wrappers, to filling, to cooking methods, as well as some useful keywords helping you easily making gyoza that you love every time.
Ingredients
For the Gyoza Wrappers:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- A pinch of salt
For the Filling:
- 1 cup finely chopped napa or green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped (or mushrooms of your choice)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions very fine
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch knob ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Cooking:
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
- Water (for steaming)
Method
Step 1: Making the Gyoza Wrappers
1.Directions to Prepare the Dough: First step is to add the all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl. Add a little salt to taste. Slowly drizzle the boiling water while mixing the dough with a fork or chopsticks. The hot water will help to create a pliable dough. When the dough cools down a little bit, take it out, and knead it on a lightly floured work surface for 5 – 10 minutes until it is nice and elastic and smooth. This is a vital step to ensure your gyoza wrappers get the right texture.
2.Allow the dough to Rest: Cover the kneaded dough with a plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. It should rest which soothes the gluten, allowing for easier rolling into thin wrappers later on.
Step 2: Preparing the Filling
3.Then Cook the Veggies: Add a splash of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, sautéing for around one minute until aromatic and the oil feels hot again. Cook 3 to 4 minutes to soften the shiitake mushrooms, and then add the chopped feature. Add the chopped napa cabbage and the shredded carrots and stir often until the cabbage wilts down, another 3 to 4 minutes or so.
4.Add some flavor to the Filling: Once the veggies have cooked, take the skillet off the heat and add the finely chopped green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a hint of salve & pepper. Combine, and let the filling cool for a couple of minutes. A deliciously earthy mushroom and vegetable filling. The most flavor packed filling!
Step 3: Assembling the Gyoza
5.Roll Out the Wrappers: After the dough has rested, break off small portions (golf ball size: 10 to 12 pieces). Form into balls, then roll out with a rolling pin on a clean surface using more cornstarch as necessary, into circles around 3 inches each side thin. Keep the edges thinner than the center, it will aid in folding / sealing.
6.Fill the Gyoza: Add about a tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each wrapper. With your finger, wet the edges of that wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to cover the filling, and pinch together tightly to seal. To make it look even more fancy, create pleats along the edges by folding and pinching them towards the center, and to give it extra security. This gives a better presentation and also serves to help seal in the filling while cooking.
Step 4: Cooking the Gyoza
7.Pan-Fry and Steam: Warm a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil. When it shimmers, lay the gyoza in the pan, giving space between each one. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on each bottom.
8.Steam the Gyoza: Once they are nicely browned, pour in approximately 1/4 cup water, cover with a pan lid quickly. This will turn the gyoza into steam to cook them through but still keep them moist. Let them steam for 5 to 7 minutes. After the water evaporates, remove the lid and allow them to fry one more minute to crisp the bottoms back up.
Step 5: Serving the Gyoza
9.Make the dipping sauce: Also when the gyoza are cooking, mix together some soy sauce and rice vinegar(your preference, you can just have them with soy sauce, but this is a great dip). If you like a bit of spice, you can also mix in a few drops of sesame oil or a few drops of chili oil. Gyoza dipping sauce pairs very well with the gyoza savory flavor.
10.Enjoy! Place the hot gyoza on a plate and serve with the dipping sauce on the side. Sprinkle with more chopped green onions or sesame seeds for visual appeal. Your guests, or family, will be impressed with the blend of crispy bottoms filled with flavour!
Tips for Perfect Gyoza
- Avoid Overfilling: Be sure not to overfill the gyoza. They can burst while cooking, when the filling is overstuffed.
- Cover These Wrappers: Make sure to keep any wrappers you are not actively working with covered with a damp towel so they do not dry out as you fill your rolls.
- Add Other Fillings: You can play around with it — use veggies or protein like tofu or spinach, or even finely minced bell peppers, for different tastes.
- For Freezing: Gyoza freeze extremely well. To freeze uncooked gyoza, follow these steps: Layout uncooked gyoza in one layer on a baking sheet and once frozen transfer to a zip-lock bag. To prepare, you can pan-fry or steam them from the freezer — just add a couple of extra minutes onto the cooking time.
Conclusion
Homemade vegetarian gyoza is a great dish that brings family and friends together in the kitchen. Gyoza are delicious crispy dumplings filled with meat and make perfect snack, appetizer or main dish. Making each dumpling yourself lets you be creative and be pleased with making something tasty from start to finish.
To conclude, if you can follow this specific recipe and way, then you will be on your way to become a pro at making gyoza, and experimenting with your culinary skills confidently. So get your hands dirty, track down your ingredients, and have fun creating your own veg dumplings. Every single mouthful will be a celebration of flavour, texture and the enjoyment of eating good food together!
