These Vegetable Gyoza are stuffed with a delicious mix of tofu, cabbage, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. With golden crisp bottom, fresh juicy filling, and homemade dipping sauce, it's love at first bite! You don't have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy these Japanese pan-fried dumplings.

Vegetable Gyoza (Vegan/Vegetarian)

INGREDIENTS

For Filling

• 12 oz firm tofu (240 g; 400 g before draining and 366 g after 2 hours of pressing)
• 5 oz king oyster mushrooms (142 g)
• 2 oz shiitake mushrooms (57 g)
• 3.5 oz red cabbage (100 g)
• 5 oz cabbage (142 g)
• 1 tsp salt (for cabbage)
• 2 oz carrot (57 g)
• 3 oz onion (85 g)
• 2 green onions/scallions (1.6 oz, 44 g)
• 1 knob ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp potato starch/cornstarch

For Seasonings

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp miso
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• For Wrapping Gyoza
• 80 gyoza wrappers (roughly; buy 2 Myojo brand gyoza wrappers; each package comes 52 sheets; you can also make your homemade gyoza wrappers)
• Water (to dip and seal wrappers)

For Frying Gyoza (for each batch)

• 1 Tbsp oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp sesame oil (roasted)

For Dipping Sauce

• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ⅛ tsp la-yu (Japanese chili oil) (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.
   

To Drain the Tofu

1. Wrap the tofu with a paper towel and place it on a tray/plate. Put another tray/plate on top of the tofu and press the tofu down with a heavy object or two, for roughly 30 minutes to 1 hour (I pressed for 2 hours this time; 400 g before pressing, 355 g after pressed). If you’re in a hurry, you can alternatively microwave (without plastic wrap) for 1.5 minutes (W1000) and drain the water.

To Make the Seasonings

1. In a small bowl, add 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp miso, and ⅛ tsp white pepper.
2. Whisk all together and set aside.

To Make the Gyoza Filling

1. Discard the tough core of cabbage leaves and cut into julienned pieces.
2. Mince the julienned cabbage into small pieces. Depending on your gyoza wrappers, it’s easier to tuck in smaller pieces in the wrapper than chunkier pieces.
3. Repeat the same for red cabbage. Discard the tough core of cabbage leaves and cut into julienned pieces.
4. Put the minced cabbage in a bowl and add salt. Rub the cabbage with your hands and set aside till it releases water.
5. Cut the carrot into slabs, then sticks, and mince them.
6. Mince the onion into small pieces.
7. Cut the green onions into white and green parts. Save the green part for garnish later and chop the white parts into small pieces.
8. Discard the bottom/end of king oyster mushrooms, cut them into sticks, and then mince them.
9. Discard the stem of shiitake mushrooms, cut them into strips, and then mince them.
10. In a large bowl, add the onion, two kinds of mushrooms, carrots, and green onions. Then add the minced garlic (I use my garlic press here).
11. Peel and grate the ginger. Add 1 tsp of grated ginger (and juice if there is any).
12. Squeeze the liquid out of the cabbage and add to the bowl with all the ingredients.
13. Remove the paper towel and slice the tofu into thin slabs, roughly ⅛ inch thickness (pencil size).
14. Then cut the tofu slabs into sticks and then cubes. Add the tofu cubes and the seasoning mixture into the bowl.
15. Mix all together. Once the ingredients are coated with the seasonings, add potato starch. Mix and see if they are still “watery”. You may need to add more potato starch if necessary.

To Fold Gyoza

1. Prepare a tray or plate with parchment paper and sprinkle some potato starch (cornstarch). This will prevent the gyoza from sticking to the paper.

2. Take a wrapper and place it in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Use a teaspoon to scoop a small amount of filling and put it in the center of the wrapper. Dip one finger in a bowl of water and draw a circle around the outer ¼” of the wrapper with your wet finger until it’s wet all around.

3. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and pinch it in the center with your fingers (but don’t seal yet!). Using your thumb and index finger, start making a pleat about once every ¼“ on the top part of the wrapper from the center toward the right.

4. As you fold each pleat, press the folded pleat tightly against the back part of the wrapper using your other thumb and index finger. Make 3-4 pleats.

5. Continue with the left side of the gyoza. Start making a pleat from the center to the left.

6. Press the pleats tightly (make sure no air pockets!) and shape the gyoza to look pretty.

To Store Gyoza

1. Before the filling starts to release moisture to the wrappers, cover the gyoza with plastic wrap and “flash freeze” them in the freezer until solid (at least outside is frozen). Make sure to layout the gyoza flat. Once the gyoza is solid, pack them in an airtight bag. Because you flash freeze them, gyoza won’t stick to each other in the bag. You can store gyoza for up to a month. When you use frozen gyoza, do not defrost. Cook while frozen and steam for extra 1-2 minutes.

To Cook Gyoza

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the gyoza in a single layer, flat side down (in two rows or in a circular shape).

2. Cook until the bottoms of the gyoza turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan.
3. Immediately cover with a lid and steam the gyoza for about 3 minutes or until most of the water evaporates.
4. Remove the lid to evaporate any remaining water. Add 1 tsp sesame oil around the frying pan.
5. Cook uncovered until the gyoza is nice and crisp on the bottom. Transfer to a plate and serve with dipping sauce. For the dipping sauce, combine the sauce ingredients in a small plate and mix it all together.
6. Cut the green parts of the green onion and garnish, if you like.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/vegetable-gyoza/