dumple me

September 18, 2017 11:15 AM

The stars have aligned and I have everything I need to make delicious Asian-style vegetarian dumplings at home...except a great filling recipe. Please help! Specifics inside.

So far we have a big stack of frozen dumpling wrappers and a fancy rice cooker with a steamer function.

Yes please:

Lots of garlic/fresh herbs (particularly cilantro)
Tofu or other meat substitutes
Vegetables that are likely to be available at the average big UK grocery store
Eggs
Fusion recipes/ideas
Spicy options

No thanks:

Bell peppers (fresh chillis are okay though)
Lots of recipes where mushrooms are the star of the show - a mix of mushroom and mushroom-free recipes would be good as my partner is often not keen on them (but I adore them)
Meat, fish or seafood
Vegetables I'd have to get from a specialist Asian grocery store

We generally prefer steamed dumplings over fried/grilled. We have a food processor.

Dipping sauce suggestions are extremely welcome, as are hints on ideal cooking time. Hit me up with your favourite recipes!

posted by terretu to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Smitten Kitchen has a lovely recipe for spring vegetable potstickers. You can easily substitute/change the veggies as long as you apply some common sense when you saute the filling. Includes recipe for a dipping sauce.
posted by wavelette at 11:30 AM on September 18, 2017

If you can try to find garlic chives/Chinese chives/Chinese leeks (which are flatter and wider than regular chives) then try those, mixed with eggs and glass noodles maybe. They can be a bit strong though.

Dipping sauce should be do-it-yourself to taste, with bottles of soy sauce and vinegar (I like white, but rice or black are fine too). Sesame oil if you want, some sort of chili sauce if you want (I like homemade chili oil, but something like Sriracha is ok too).

If you love cilantro, well, this isn't strictly speaking supposed to go on dumplings, but one of my favorite restaurants makes an insanely delicious salsa-ish thing with pickled vegetables (suan cai), chopped cilantro, jalapenos, scallions, with a bit of sesame oil, vinegar, salt and sugar. I sometimes sneak it onto my dumplings and it's great.
posted by acidic at 12:18 PM on September 18, 2017

I like the flavor of fresh ginger with dumplings. Maybe you could try shredded cabbage, tofu, and ginger (a veggie version of a classic pork and ginger dumpling). Sautee the mix lightly with salt and pepper to soften cabbage and meld flavors before filling the dumplings.
posted by emd3737 at 1:45 PM on September 18, 2017

My favorite take-out ones have glass noodles in them. This recipe looks quite similar and is what I would try in your position.
posted by LKWorking at 2:23 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you want a change from savory dumplings, you can also do fruit dumplings. A filling that you'd put into a pie could work in a dumpling.
posted by ShooBoo at 2:27 PM on September 18, 2017

Sauteed king oyster mushrooms are a great filling for lots of stuff where you would want the texture of something like meat. Add in some oyster sauce and chili oil to taste.
posted by Ferreous at 2:30 PM on September 18, 2017

Samosa filling? Or how about Spanakopita?

This is what I used to make when I was still married for the Christmas Dinner. Always a big hit. Another thing to try would be MaPo Tofu, although I have not tried this. I have always wondered how this would be as I LOVE MaPo Tofu.

Let us know what you ended up making. Thanks
posted by indianbadger1 at 2:42 PM on September 18, 2017

My fave veggie one has tiny bits of diced tofu, egg (make it into an omelet then dice), glass noodles, and chives.

Dipping sauce is super easy. Mostly black Chinese vinegar, a splash of soy sauce, a dribble of sesame oil, and lots and lots of minced garlic.
posted by astapasta24 at 8:42 PM on September 18, 2017

I have made the Alton Brown recipe in the past. I very much like it, although I added chopped broccoli, steamed corn, and glass noodles to taste as per my favorite dumplings from my favorite Chinese restaurant. He does include red pepper. Just take it out.
posted by oflinkey at 9:53 AM on September 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Soyrizo (cooked and drained) mixed with green onion, ginger, garlic, and some chopped chilis if you want it spicy.

Also 'dumple' is my new favorite verb. Thank you.
posted by ananci at 11:46 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]