Gyoza Dumplings (Pot Stickers) with Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce

David and Charlotte Bailey

These crescent-shaped dumplings are one of our all-time favourites. They’re called ‘pot stickers’ in North America, because the traditional and best method of cooking them results in them sticking to the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry: they’re easy to remove with a spatula, and this technique will give you a wonderful juxtaposition of crispiness on the bottom with fluffiness on the top. You’ll find the skins in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets, but do make sure they’re vegan because not all varieties are.

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Ingredients

For the dipping sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3½ tbsp rice vinegar
1 shallot (green onion), finely chopped
½ bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
For the dumplings:
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
15g/½oz fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
3 wood ear mushrooms (or any mushroom of your choice), finely sliced
350g/12oz fresh firm tofu
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
400g/12oz pack dumpling skins

Method

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
For the dumpling filling, heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a pan, then add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté for about 4 minutes until cooked through. Add the carrot, spring onions and mushrooms, then crumble the tofu into the pan. Cook the mixture for 10–15 minutes until it’s quite dry, then season with the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Leave until cool enough to handle.
Take a dumpling skin in one hand, then dip the index finger of your other hand in a little water and use it to wet the top half of the skin. Put about ½ tbsp of the filling mixture into the middle of the skin, then fold the skin over to form a half-moon shape, crimping and sticking the edges together as you go. Repeat with the remaining skins and filling.
In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the remaining vegetable oil over a high heat. Add the dumplings to the pan and fry, uncovered, for about 4 minutes until the bottoms are golden and crisp.
Add a ladleful of water and quickly put the lid on the frying pan to steam the dumplings for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to fry, uncovered, until any leftover water has evaporated – be careful as the hot liquid can splash. Keep an eye on the bottom of the dumplings at this stage as you don’t want them to burn. Gently lift the dumplings with a spatula and transfer them to a serving plate and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.