Recipe | Kūmara and tofu dumplings

Simple to make and packed with goodness, I love stocking the freezer with these, ready to whip out at short notice when mates show up for dinner. Crumbled tofu gives a texture not dissimilar to pork mince. If garlic chives are hard to find, use ordinary chives and chopped fresh garlic.

Makes 20 dumplings

VEGAN | Summer, Spring, Autumn, Winter

Hands-on time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dipping sauce

4 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 long red chilli, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander, plus extra to serve

Dumpling wrappers

150g high grade flour

80ml boiling water

Filling

5 tbsp canola oil, plus extra as needed

200g firm tofu, drained and crumbled

75g red cabbage, finely shredded

1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger

1 small orange kūmara (about 300g), peeled and coarsely grated

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp sea salt

50g garlic chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame oil

Method

Make the dipping sauce first to allow the flavours to infuse. Place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk together, then transfer to a shallow dish suitable for dipping. Set aside.

For the dumpling wrappers, use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix the flour and water in a bowl to make a firm but soft dough. It shouldn’t be sticky. Knead a little until smooth, then form into a ball. Cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

For the filling, heat 2 tbsp of the canola oil in a large frying pan (that has a lid) or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the tofu, cabbage and ginger and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water released has fully evaporated and the cabbage is soft. Toss the kūmara, soy sauce, mirin and salt through and cook for a further 2 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and any excess has evaporated.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the garlic chives and sesame oil and mix to combine. Season with salt to taste and set aside for 5 minutes to cool a little. You’re better to slightly over-season, as the wrappers extract some of the salt as the dumplings cook. Clean the base of the frying pan with a paper towel.

To make the dumplings, divide the dough into 20 even portions (about 10g each), and roll into small balls. On a lightly floured work surface, take one piece of dough and roll out into a thin circle, 10cm in diameter.

Place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre and fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape, pressing along the edge to close.

Pinch and pleat the curved edges together to seal. Place onto a lightly floured tray, flat-side down, and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent drying out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to form 20 dumplings. You will have some leftover filling – it’s delicious cooked and served on its own or stir-fried with noodles.

Heat the remaining 3 tbsp canola oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the dumplings, flat-side down, in a single layer (you may need to cook them in batches). Fry for 2 minutes (without touching them) until golden brown on the bottom, then pour in 60ml cold water and cover pan with a lid. Steam for 4 minutes, or until the water  has evaporated. Remove the lid and fry for a further minute until the bottoms are crispy. Remove from the heat, and using a spatula transfer the cooked dumplings to a serving platter. Repeat until all of the dumplings are cooked (you will need to add more oil to the pan if cooking multiple batches).

Serve the dumplings hot, sprinkled with chopped coriander and with the dipping sauce.

Note: To freeze to cook later, assemble the dumplings, freeze on a tray until firm, then put in an airtight container. Cook as if fresh – no thawing required.

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Good Vibes is a celebration of food that makes you feel good. With veg-forward ingredients and knockout flavours, these are recipes to take your cooking to the next level. From nourishing breakfasts to impressive sharing plates, punchy weeknight meals, soul-warming slow-cooks, and delectable sweet treats, Alby Hailes shares his on-repeat recipes to Energise, Connect, Excite, Comfort and Delight.

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