Vegie Gyoza (potstickers)

so very very yummy!! Lots of prep but it made so many I have gyozas on hand in the freezer now to defrost whenever I want any and actually cooking them is quite quick, it was just the fine chopping that was time consuming!

2 teaspoons peanut oil (I used a wee bit more)
2 cloves garlic (I used about half a bulb)
5 cm of fresh ginger (25g) grated (I chopped it finely)
1 fresh small red thai chilli (I had to leave this out for my munchkin and just used it in one of the dipping sauces instead)
150 g oyster (shitake) mushrooms, chopped finely.
2 small carrots chopped finely
3 spring onions, sliced thinly.
1/2 a cup (40g) about a big handful of bean sprouts.
100g sof tofu, chopped finely.
22g can water chestnuts, drained and chopped finely.
1/4 cup finely chopped fres coriander.
as many wonton wrappers as it takes (you can freeze those you don't use straight away.)

Chop everything up that needs to be chopped, get the pain over and done with!!
heat oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic, ginger and chilli until fragrant (you will know it when it hits your nose and you start drooling! I left the chilli out as my daughter screeches about chilli but I am working on that!)
Add the finely chopped mushrooms, carrot, spring onion, water chestnuts and tofu and cook them until the carrot (which so very much so has to be finely chopped), is softening and then add the bean sprouts as well. Stir this and once everything has softened slightly take it off the heat add the coriander and let it cool for about ten minutes.
Place one level tablespoon (you will work out how much is needed really quick as too much and you can't seal them and too little and they are all wrapping no stuffing) in the centre of the wonton wrapper and then dip your finger in water and rub it on the edge and fold them in half and seal them together. At this point they remind me of italian pastas!
Get the oil hot in a heavy based frypan (with a lid or an alfoil make do one as I did) and place them in the frypan, cook them on ONE side (super important, do NOT turn them over) until they are lightly browned then pour in one cup of water until it is boiling then cover them, reduce the heat and let them steam off for fifteen minutes, then take the lid off and let the water evaporate away until they are sticking to the bottom of the pan but not burning.
dish them up brown side up and serve them with one of the two following sauces.

Miso dipping sauce.
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1spring onion sliced thinly\2 tablespoons of water

mix them all together and either dip your gyoza in if you are using chopsticks or drizzle it over the top of them.

Gyoza dipping sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (red if you can get it but white works well.
!/4 cup of soy sauce
i small chilli chooped and a teaspoon of oil or a teaspoon of chilli oil.

eat same as above sauce.

These rock and are well worth the chopping effort. I am currently a better cooker than nana which is something to be said in my household!!

 

Mmmmm Gyoza, used to be one of my favourites when I was in Japan even though they're actually Chinese...Dim Sum.

Are you into Veggie Tempura?

 

I love veggie tempura. I celebrated my friends birthday in the middle of Tokyo Bay on one of those cool little restaurant boats eating tempura, drinking beers and singing karaoke, never to be forgotten experience. I was particularly impressed that they made up a batch of tempura that was totally vego, oil included, just for me. Thankyou to considerate caterers!

 

Aye, very impressive considering many Japanese don't understand the concept of vegetarian. Like, they will serve you veggies that have been cooked in animal fat!

 

so true. Happens here too though! I was very lucky and the person organising the party is one of the most caring people I know and went all out to do right by me. Right down to the oil and it all being cooked seperately. It gave me a benchmark that I have a hard time finding on my own but at least it gave me that point of referance as to just how good it could be!

Definitely helps to be a speaker of the language when you get into such fine shades of meaning, damn that I am a lazy student!

 

Oh we were speaking in Japanese and saying No Niku! They just don't really understand the concept of vegetarianism. Luckily, I am not a veggie (I just prefer to eat veggie food, it has more flavour), but a friend of mine was having a right mission.

 

"niku (meat) nashi (without if it's connected to a word, otherwise it means pear)" really helps with this, though you have to go into a lot more detail if you don't eat seafood (prawns are "ebi", fish is "sakana" but fish gets even more complicated as they forget that "bonito" is a type of fish and this is in almost everything and so all the particular names for the particular types of fish come in handy due to this different way of approaching animal ingredients and even animals, I love these fine cultural differences that exist between all of us!) or chicken (tori niku) as they don't class these as niku. Listing them helps. There is some real understanding with people as many peoples grandparents are still Vegetarian due to Buddhism. It is hard though I do agree. We ate at home a lot however this was good for our wallets as well so it wasn't too much of an issue, I pretty much could eat anywhere .

 

Yeah... we were lucky at the time. I have some native speaking friends, so they were helpful, but the concept was still misunderstood. LOL
However, there us a street dedicated to vegetarianism/veganism and organic produce in Tokyo, can't remember where it is, but it is there.
It is strange considering during the Edo Period, all Japanese were vegetarian. I suppose that went out of the window when Bushido laws etc were disregarded.

 

stephaniesomewhere, thank you so much for posting this!! I just have recently became vegetarian, and I was truly mourning the fact that I would never eat gyoza again! I adore them! Being in the US I'm not really sure how much grams are, but it shouldn't be a problem figuring it out.

Anyway, thanks again, this recipe has really made my day!

 

my pleasure!
I think I need to make them again as I have been so busy with work I have almost forgotten the flavour....
*drools*

 

Oh my gosh these were so good.