How To Make Vegetable Gyoza (Vegan Dumplings)
Gyoza is a dish that originates from China, but now you can say that it is practically Japan's national dish. Japanese people of all ages love Gyoza, and there are many different types available. You can buy ready-made Gyoza at supermarkets, of course, and you can also find Gyoza specialty shops offering uncompromisingly delicious Gyozas. Utsunomiya city in Tochigi prefecture has especially long been renowned for Gyoza, boasting a lot of Gyoza specialty shops that are definitely worth a visit.
In addition to these Gyoza scenes in Japan, unmanned Gyoza stores have recently been gaining popularity, allowing people to buy delicious Gyoza 24/7. Thus, for many Japanese people, it is not an exaggeration to say, 'No Gyoza, No Life.'
In Japan, Gyoza made with ground pork and vegetables is the authentic choice for homemade preparation. We've shown you how to make this classic version on our blog, and we've also shared a version made with shrimp.
While Gyoza is typically a main dish, we are going to introduce vegetable Gyoza that can serve as the main course, a side dish, or an appetizer. This option gives a new position to Gyoza and also caters to those who prefer a meat-free alternative.
Usually, Japanese people use Chinese seasonings such as Chinese chicken soup stock and oyster sauce to make Gyoza at home. However, this time, we have opted for Japanese seasonings, which not only exclude animal-derived ingredients but also add a savory flavor to our vegetable Gyoza. Don’t forget to include shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. These ingredients not only function as seasonings but also provide even more umami flavor to the dish.
As we are going to make vegetable Gyoza with tofu instead of ground meat, there is one tip you should keep in mind when you make this vegetable Gyoza: removing the water from the tofu. This prevents the Gyoza from becoming watery and ensures a more flavorful dish.
Gyoza involves some handcrafted-like preparation processes. Enjoy these steps, and you'll have satisfying vegetable Gyoza!
Overview
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Total servings: 25
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
- 25 Gyoza Wrappers
- 150 g Firm Tofu
- 200 g Cabbage
- 50 g Carrot (peeled)
- 20 g Green Onion
- 30 g Shiitake Mushrooms
- 15 g Ginger
- 5 g Garlic
- 2/3 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Miso
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Potato Starch
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil (for pan-frying)
- 80~100ml Water (for steaming)
- Extra Water (to aid in folding the gyoza)
- Soy Sauce (as much as you want, for the dipping sauce)
- Vinegar (as much as you want, for the dipping sauce)
- Chili Oil (as much as you want, for the dipping sauce)
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