Vegan Japanese Dumplings Gyoza

Basic gyoza recipe using soy meat and extra cabbage!

日本語は、こちらから。

I have shared a recipe for Japanese dumplings, gyoza, before but today I want to share a very basic recipe for gyoza – the kind that Japanese moms would make at home, no special ingredient or fancy tricks! However, I will make one modification to a regular recipe by substituting soy meat with ground pork to make it vegan:)

Making gyoza starts with chopping vegetables, and lots of it! 1/4 cabbage, 10cm Japanese long onion (or leek) and 1/2 bunch Chinese chives should be finely chopped. Combine the vegetables, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Set aside for a while so that the vegetables release moisture.

To prepare soy meat, I usually use veg broth but this time, I’m using a clove of garlic, ginger and green part of long onion to make a quick broth. Bring 3 cups water with the garlic, ginger and long onion to boil and add 50g soy meat (ground type). Boil for 3 min then stop the heat, cover and set aside.

Squeeze moisture out of the vegetables. Add drained soy meat and minced 1 clove garlic and equal part ginger. Add 1 tsp of shio-koji (or salt), 1 tsp shoyu-koji (or soy sauce) and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Mix well.

Take 1 ready-made gyoza skin. Wet half of the edge with water and begin to make pleats with the other half of the edge. As you make the pleats, close up the gyoza by putting the pleats on the non-pleated side.

Heat 2 Tbsp rice bran oil in a pan and place gyoza. Once the bottom gets brown, add boiling water just enough to cover the bottom of the gyoza. Close the lid right away to steam.

There is no meat inside so you don’t need to steam for a long time – just enough for the skin to get transparent. If there is any water left after you open the lid, bring the heat to high to let the water evaporate.

I like to grill my gyoza but you can also steam it, cook it in boiling water or even fry it! For the dipping sauce, you can use soy sauce or a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili oil:)

Vegan Japanese Dumplings Gyoza

Servings: makes about 30 dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cabbage
• 10cm Japanese long onion (or leek)
• 1/2 bunch Chinese chives
• 50g soy meat (ground type)
• Broth for soy meat preparation:
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2-3cm piece ginger, unpeeled
  • Green part of Japanese long onion
  • 1 tsp shio-koji (or salt)
• A pinch of salt
• 1 clove garlic and equal part ginger, minced
• Seasoning:
  • 1 tsp shio-koji (or salt)
  • 1 tsp shoyu-koji (or soy sauce)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 pack ready-made gyoza skin
• 2 Tbsp rice bran oil

Instructions:

1. Finely chop cabbage, Japanese long onion (or leek) and Chinese chives. Combine the vegetables, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Set aside for a while so that the vegetables release moisture.
2. Bring broth for soy meat preparation to boil and add soy meat. Boil for 3 min then stop the heat, cover and set aside.
3. Squeeze moisture out of the vegetable mixture. Add drained soy meat and minced garlic and ginger. Add the ingredients for seasoning. Mix well.
4. To wrap the gyoza, take 1 ready-made gyoza skin. Wet half of the edge with water and begin to make pleats with the other half of the edge. As you make the pleats, close up the gyoza by putting the pleats on the non-pleated side.
5. Heat rice bran oil in a pan and place gyoza. Once the bottom gets brown, add boiling water just enough to cover the bottom of the gyoza. Close the lid right away to steam until the skin gets transparent.