Whether you're taking part in veganuary or are simply trying to eat more veg, these kimchi gyoza are a must-try. They make a great, light alternative to the traditional pork-filled kind. Heating the kimchi in the gyoza will kill some of the live good bacteria (in the same way that pasteurisation does) so be sure to add a little extra on the side in order to get plenty of live good bugs!
INGREDIENTS:
Makes approximately 30 gyoza
- Ready made Gyoza wrappers (available from good Asian food stores)
- 1 TBS oil for frying (we used peanut & sesame)
For the Filling
- 1/2 chinese leaf cabbage
- 1 TBS coarse sea salt (for salting the cabbage)
- 1 Large Onion
- 300g mushroom
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 1/4 tsp salt to season
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1/4 tsp sichuan pepper
- 1 TBS Vegan Classic Kimchi
For the Dipping Sauce
- 4 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 4 tsp light soy sauce
- 4 tsp peanut oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
METHOD:
1. Salt the chinese leaf to remove excess water: finely shred the cabbage and place it in a large mixing bowl. Cover with 1 TBS coarse sea salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside for now and begin to prep the filling.
2. Finely dice the onion and add to a pan containing half the oil. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the minced garlic. Give it a good mix and continue to cook until the onion is translucent. It should take 4-5 minutes in total.
3. Add the minced ginger and stir through.
4. Finely dice the mushroom and carrot and add to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables have soften and released their water.
5. By now your chinese leaf should have released a lot of liquid. Transfer into a colander or sieve and give it a good rinse under cold running water. Squeeze out any excess moisture and add to the pan.
6. Now to build flavour! Add the miso paste, soy sauce and salt and continue to cook through until thoroughly combined.
7. Add the chilli flakes and sichuan pepper powder (feel free to omit if you cant get your hands on any). You can double the chilli flakes if you'd like to make your filling extra spicy, this amount will yield a moderate, warming heat.
8. Once the seasoning and spice level is to your liking, remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool a little.
9. Finely dice the Kimchi and stir through the mixture.
10. Prep your gyoza! Gently wet the outside edge of the wrapper with water (this will act as glue) and add one tsp of filling to the centre. Lightly pat the top down. Begin sealing the gyoza by pinching one end together and the move along gently folding and sealing the edge to create a pleated appearance. CLICK HERE for a great 'How To' video.
11. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a fresh, flat bottomed pan, and place the gyoza upright in the hot oil. Heat for about 1 minute until the bottoms of the dumplings are blistered and nice and brown. Now add 1/4 cup water to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook like this for a further 3 minutes until the gyoza become slightly translucent in appearance.
12. Remove from the pan and set aside.
13. Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together - I like to shake them up in an old jar for ease.
14. Serve the gyoza with the dipping sauce and garnish with optional extras: coriander, sesame seeds, chilli oil.