Vegetable gyozas (Chinese dumplings)

I love the way the different cuisines of the Asian continent season their dishes. The blandest foods are transformed into tasty bites, with peculiar and very powerful flavors. Among my favorites are gyozas, some Chinese dumplings that I could eat two-handedly every day of the week.

In some villages in northern China it is believed that gyozas, also called jiaozi, wontons or Peking ravioli, have rejuvenating properties. They symbolize good fortune and it is customary to prepare them for New Year's Eve dinner, also known as the "Spring Festival". The Chinese eat jiaozi standing up while exchanging wishes of prosperity and happiness.

This version is a bit laborious because it uses homemade dough, but it turns out infinitely tastier than store-bought dough. It’s a perfect recipe to prepare over the weekend, when we have more time for cooking. The filling, which accepts all kinds of ingredients, can be prepared in advance. Although I like vegetable gyozas, they are incredibly addictive.

Ingredients (for 28 units)

For the dough:

• 200 g wheat flour
• 10 g salt
• 90 ml hot water
• 50 g cornstarch (for dusting)

For the filling:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece of fresh ginger about 2-3 centimeters
• 3 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 leek (white part only)
• 1/4 zucchini
• 50 g bean sprouts
• 5 large mushrooms
• Vegetable oil
• 30 ml soy sauce
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

For cooking the gyozas:

• Vegetable oil
• Sesame oil
• Water
• Sesame seeds
• Fresh parsley

De Buyer Mineral B iron frying pan, Caractère porcelain plate by Revol and Now cup by Revol.

Preparation

How to make the Gyoza dough:

1. Mix the flour and salt in a deep, wide bowl. Pour the hot water in gradually while stirring.
2. When there is no more water to add, work the dough with your hands until you get a homogeneous ball that detaches from the sides of the bowl.
3. Transfer the dough to the countertop and knead for 10 more minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a couple of hours, during which time you can prepare the filling.
4. Once the dough has rested, remove it from the fridge and shape it into a cylinder. Cut into 28 pieces of the same size.
5. Sprinkle each piece with a little cornstarch and press with the palm of your hand, forming discs.
6. Take one piece and, with the help of a rolling pin, form a thin disc. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
7. To prevent the unrolled pieces and the ready discs from drying out, cover both with a damp cloth.

Prepare the filling:

1. Peel and chop the garlic and ginger. Pass them through a fine grater and set aside.
2. Peel the carrots and celery, removing the fibers. Cut into pieces about 2 centimeters long.
3. Remove the outer layer of the leek, cut it in half lengthwise, and wash it well under cold running water. Cut into slices about 2 centimeters thick.
4. Wash the zucchini, remove the end and cut into thick pieces.
5. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth, removing any traces of dirt. Cut into quarters.
6. Wash the bean sprouts and dry them well.
7. Finely chop all of the above, either with a knife, a manual chopper, or a food processor.
8. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté all the vegetables together over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add the soy sauce, increase the heat and let it evaporate.
9. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool completely before filling the wrappers with the vegetable mixture.

Shaping the gyozas:

1. Prepare a small bowl with water. We will use it to moisten the edge of each wrapper so it acts as glue when folding the dough. This way the gyozas won’t open and the filling won’t spill during cooking.
2. Brush the edge of each wrapper with water and place a small portion of filling inside. Bring the central edges together and pinch to seal well. Make pleats with the front part of the wrapper while joining it to the back part, from left to right, from right to left.
3. Any leftover filling can be frozen to make more gyozas another day or used in other recipes.

Finishing:

1. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and place the gyozas on top.
2. When the base has browned (it will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the heat) add water until the bottom is covered.
3. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
4. Sprinkle the gyozas with sesame seeds and chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately, accompanied by cooked rice, noodles, soy sauce, broth, etc.

De Buyer Mineral B iron frying pan, Caractère porcelain plate by Revol and serrated Opinel knife.