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Carrot Dumplings

This recipe comes straight outta the Food Network, and specifically Alton Brown. I've adapted it slightly to my tastes (I LOVE cilantro and green onions), and it can be easily adapted to suit yours (garlic would be a tasty addition!). You can switch up the veg - using kale, spinach, or even shelling peas for the dumpling stuffing. These freeze well (don't cook before freezing), and come together relatively quickly (especially when you have happy helpers!). While they're steaming, I whipped together a quick dipping sauce with cilantro, chilis, soy sauce, and lime. So good!

Ingredients

  • 350 grams extra firm tofu (approximately, I used most of a package)
  • 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, gently squeezed to remove juices (this was about 10 small carrots)
  • 4 Tbsps finely chopped green onions (about 3 total)
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 eggs, divided (both lightly beaten, but kept separate)
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
  • pinch chilli flakes
  • Bowl of water plus additional water for steamer
  • 40-50 dumpling wrappers
  • vegetable oil or cabbage/kale/chard leaves for the steamer

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

  2. Cut the tofu in half horizontally and fold into a clean tea towel, separated by a layer. Place on a plate or cutting board, top with another plate, and place a weight on top (such as heavy cook books). Let stand 20 minutes. I did this in the morning, and then put the drained tofu in the fridge in an airtight container so it was ready to go for the evening.

  3. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the carrots, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 egg, salt, and chilli. Lightly stir to combine, and let sit for another 20-30 minutes to allow tofu to soak up the juices.

  4. To form the dumplings, remove 1-3 wrappers from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with the 2nd beaten egg. Place 1 teaspoon of the tofu mixture in the centre of the wrapper. Form the dumplings into your desired shape. I ended up looking at a couple of Youtube videos for instructions, and made a pleated crescent moon-style dumpling. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

  5. Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the steamer's surface lightly with the vegetable oil or vegetable leaves to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat.*

  6. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a heatproof platter and place in oven to keep warm. I laid mine on an oven proof plate, covered it with a damp towel, and put them in a slightly heated oven (heated to 200 and then turned off). Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

  7. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*You can also fry the dumplings in a bit of oil for a couple of minutes, and then add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid, and let steam until water had evaporated. Then you've made yourself a potsticker!