The Chinese Steamed Tofu and Vegetable Dumplings is the perfect recipe for Chinese New Year. The dumplings are a symbol of wealth and richness as they are shaped like gold ingots.
For the last and final day under the theme of festival recipes around the globe, I chose to make this Vegetable Dumplings for Chinese New Year’s eve.
Chinese people celebrate the New Year with lot of superstitious beliefs and each and every food that they consume has a specific reason as to why it has to be consumed on the New Year’s Eve.
The dumplings are a symbol of wealth and richness as they are shaped like gold ingots. Some other examples are they consume fish for abundance and noodles for long life.
Some also stuff their dumplings with coin and whoever gets that dumpling is assumed to have lot of wealth and prosperity that year.
The Vegetable dumplings are either steamed or boiled or pan fried. I have made today the steamed version with vegetables and tofu. I have coked the vegetables in this particular recipe. But you could make them with raw vegetables as well.
Ingredients to make Vegetable Dumplings – Makes about 30
- Wonton wrappers – as needed
- Carrots – 1 cup (finely chopped)
- Cabbage - 1 cup (finely chopped)
- Tofu (firm) – ¾ cup (finely chopped)
- Spring onions – 3 (sliced thin along with the greens)
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Chili sauce – 1 tbsp
- Corn starch – 1 tablespoon dissolved in 2 tablespoon of water
- Salt – as needed (might not need any as we are using soy sauce)
- Garlic – 2 cloves (minced)
- Ginger – ½ inch piece (finely grated)
- Oil – 2 tablespoon plus more to spray
Procedure to make Vegetable Dumplings
To make the filling
- Chop all the vegetables and tofu and have them ready.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the sliced spring onion (white part only). Fry it on high flame for couple of minutes and then add the ginger and the garlic. Fry for about 30 seconds more and then add the carrots and the cabbage. Add a pinch of salt (not more as we are adding soy sauce) and let the vegetables cook. Make sure that you cook them only half way and maintain a crisp on them.
- Now add the tofu, soy sauce and the chili sauce and fry for 3-4 more minutes.
- At the end add the corn starch that is dissolved in water and give it a good mix. Cook for a minute more and then add the spring onion greens. Mix once and turn off the flame. Let the mixture cool down before we start to make the dumplings.
To shape the dumplings
- Open the wonton wrappers and keep it covered under a moist paper towel.
- Working with one sheet at a time, place it on your work surface. Brush all the four sides of the wrapper with water.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the center of the sheet.
- Bring the two opposite corners together and seal them. They seal very easily when wet. Now do the same with the other two corners and seal them. You will have a pouch like wonton that is ready to be steamed.
- Repeat the same with the rest of the sheets and filling.
To cook the dumplings
- Prepare a steamer and fill it with about an inch of water.
- Spray the steamer plates with oil and then place the prepared wontons, taking care not to crowd them.
- Steam for about 15 – 18 minutes or until the wontons turn shiny in appearance.
- Remove on a tray and keep it covered with a moist towel until ready to serve.
- Serve the steamed Vegetable dumplings with spicy dipping sauce.
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Vegetable Dumplings | Steamed Vegetable and Tofu Dumpling
Equipment
- steamer
Ingredients
- 30 Wonton wrappers
- 1 cup Carrots finely chopped
- 1 cup Cabbage finely chopped
- ¾ cup Tofu firm (finely chopped)
- 3 Spring onions sliced thin along with the greens
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoon of water
- as needed Salt might not need any as we are using soy sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger finely grated
- 2 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
To make the filling –
- Chop all the vegetables and tofu and have them ready.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the sliced spring onion (white part only). Fry it on high flame for couple of minutes and then add the ginger and the garlic. Fry for about 30 seconds more and then add the carrots and the cabbage. Add a pinch of salt (not more as we are adding soy sauce) and let the vegetables cook. Make sure that you cook them only half way and maintain a crisp on them.
- Now add the tofu, soy sauce and the chili sauce and fry for 3-4 more minutes.
- At the end add the corn starch that is dissolved in water and give it a good mix. Cook for a minute more and then add the spring onion greens. Mix once and turn off the flame. Let the mixture cool down before we start to make the dumplings.
To shape the dumplings –
- Open the wonton wrappers and keep it covered under a moist paper towel.
- Working with one sheet at a time, place it on your work surface. Brush all the four sides of the wrapper with water.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the center of the sheet.
- Bring the two opposite corners together and seal them. They seal very easily when wet. Now do the same with the other two corners and seal them. You will have a pouch like wonton that is ready to be steamed.
- Repeat the same with the rest of the sheets and filling.
To cook the dumplings –
- Prepare a steamer and fill it with about an inch of water.
- Spray the steamer plates with oil and then place the prepared wontons, taking care not to crowd them.
- Steam for about 15 – 18 minutes or until the wontons turn shiny in appearance.
- Remove on a tray and keep it covered with a moist towel until ready to serve.
- Serve with spicy dipping sauce.
Usha Rao says
I wanted to make dumplings at home for a long time and the recipe worked out really well. Thanks for sharing.
Pavani says
We love dumplings and your vegetarian recipe was absolutely delicious. Thanks for the step by step recipes - I was able to make them with ease.
Chef Mireille says
your step by step photos for stuffing and shaping were so helpful and what a delicious fillings. Thanks for this version for all my veggie friends!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks Mireille! I a so glad that you found the pictures helpful.