These vegan potstickers are fun to make and even more fun to eat! Bursting with veggies and spices, crispy on the bottom, soft and sticky on top, they make a delicious appetizer that will be a hit at your next gathering.
- 5 tablespoons peanut oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup finely chopped green cabbage
- ½ cup finely diced carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- ½ cup finely chopped water chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 30 Shanghai-style dumpling wrappers, or more if needed (Note 1)
- Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
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Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the chopped mushrooms in an even layer.
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Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, flipping them once or twice, until they're lightly browned. Remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
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Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Give it a minute to heat up, then add the white parts of your scallions, garlic and ginger. Cook everything for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until very fragrant.
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Raise the heat to medium high and add the cabbage, carrots, and water chestnuts. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
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Return the mushrooms to the skillet. Add the green parts of the scallions, soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, sesame oil, cornstarch, and five spice.
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Flip the ingredients a few times with a spatula to mix everything up and cook the mixture for about 1 minute more. Remove the skillet from heat.
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Taste-test the filling and season it with salt to taste. (Note 2) Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
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Fill a small bowl with water. Set a dumpling wrapper on a work surface and moisten the edges with water. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the filling in the center of the dumpling.
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Fold the wrapper in half over the filing, pinching the wrapper together at the midpoint of the round edge. Seal one side at a time, forming small pleats in the half of the wrapper facing you.
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Continue filling and folding the dumplings until all of the filing is used.
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Coat the bottom of a medium to large nonstick skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. (Note 3)
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Cook the dumplings in batches. Add as many as you can fit in the skillet without crowding, placing them flat (non-pleated) sides down.
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Pan-fry the dumplings for about 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on the bottoms, then add ¼ to ⅓ cup of water (Note 4) and loosely cover the skillet (Note 5). Be careful when adding the water, as it may sputter when it hits the hot surface.
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Steam the dumplings for 3 to 4 minutes, until all of the water has evaporated.
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Remove the dumplings from the skillet and continue cooking them in batches in the same manner.
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Stir the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Make sure to fully dissolve the brown sugar.
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Sprinkle the dumplings with sesame seeds and serve them with dipping sauce on the side.
- Check the ingredients to ensure that your wrappers are vegan. Twin Marquis brand dumpling wrappers are.
- Keep in mind that the dipping sauce is salty when seasoning the filling. You may not need any additional salt.
- For a medium skillet, use about a tablespoon of oil. Use a tablespoon and a half for a large skillet.
- If you're using a medium sized skillet (fits about 10 dumplings), add ¼ cup of water. For a large skillet (fits about 15 dumplings), add ⅓ cup of water).
- Foil can be used to cover the skillet if you don't have a lid.