Vegan Potstickers with Chilli Oil and a Soy Dipping Sauce
Serves: 25-30 dumplings
 
INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
  • ½ head of cabbage, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • ½ head of broccoli, grated
  • 1 cup chopped spring onions (only the whites, reserve the greens for garnish)
  • 6-8 cloves of garlic
  • 1 4” pc of ginger
  • 1-2 green chillies (use more for spicier dumplings, as per taste / optional)
  • 2 tablespoons any neutral cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • A splash of rice wine vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
To make potstickers:
  • 30 round dumpling wrappers*
  • A bowl of water to help fold
  • ¼ cup neutral oil
For the light soy dipping sauce:
  • ¼ cup soy
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • A tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
  • A pinch of chilli flakes
For the chilli oil (optional):
  • 1 cup cooking oil
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1-2 whole star anise
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ⅓ cup crushed red chilli flakes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Finely chop the cabbage and place it in a strainer with a bowl underneath. Salt generously, and let it stand for 15 minutes to drain out all the excess water from the cabbage. This will prevent the dumplings from getting soggy. Once drained, use your hands or a cheesecloth to press the cabbage and squeeze out any remaining water and discard.
  2. While the cabbage is draining, make a smooth paste by blending together ginger, garlic, and green chillies in a blender.
  3. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil. Add the ginger-garlic-chilli paste and cook for a minute. Add the chopped veggies — carrots, broccoli, spring onions, and drained cabbage. Sauté for 3-5 minutes. Season with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, salt and black pepper, as per taste. Cook until the veggies are softened and remove from heat. Let it cool down before forming dumplings.
  4. To make dumplings: If using homemade dough, portion out your dough into 1 inch pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough until really thin and almost translucent. Use a cookie cutter or the lid of a mason jar to cut out circles. Place one spoon of the filling in the centre (don’t overfill or you risk splitting the potstickers when cooking). Lightly wet your finger in a bowl of water, and run it along the edge of the wrapper. Fold in half and pinch the edges down to stick them together — you should have a half moon shape. Holding the dumpling in your left hand (and starting from the left edge), fold down little bits of the edge over to make tiny pleats until you reach the end — each dumpling will have about 6-7 pleats. Alternatively you can also use a fork to press down on the edges and seal them shut. Place folded dumplings on a lightly greased plate and cover with a damp towel as you finish folding the rest.
  5. For potstickers: Heat a nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil, and place 5-8 dumplings (according to the size of your pan) in the pan, making sure they don’t stick to each other. Add a tablespoon of water (be careful as it will splutter with the hot oil), and immediately cover it. This will allow the dumplings to get crispy golden brown edges while steam at the same time. Cook for 2 minutes and remove the cover. Your potstickers should be nice and golden on the bottom, which means they are done. If not, give them another minute to brown up.
  6. For the light soy dipping sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients for the light soy dipping sauce in a bowl to serve with your potstickers.
  7. For the chilli oil: Heat 1 cup oil in a small saucepan until bubbling. Add to it the cinnamon sticks, star anise, black peppercorns, and bay leaves, and let the spices infuse the oil for 20-25 minutes. (Note: make sure your oil isn't boiling and burning the spices, but foamy bubbling is good). Prepare a bowl with the chilli flakes and salt. After the oil is infused, strain it over the chilli flakes + salt. Discard the spices. Once cooled, your chilli oil is ready. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 months in an airtight container.
  8. Serve pan fried potstickers with little dollops of chilli oil (if using) and a garnish of spring onions, alongside the light soy dipping sauce.
*Note:
For steamed dumplings: Prepare a bamboo steamer by placing parchment paper in the bottom to prevent sticking. Arrange the dumplings without crowding inside the steamer. Place the bamboo steamer over simmering water and steam for about 8 minutes or until done.
Recipe by Sprig & Vine at http://sprigandvine.in/vegan-potstickers/