These vegetarian mushroom gyoza are perfect party appetizers! Not only do they taste wonderful, they can conveniently be prepared in advance and reheated before serving. People are constantly asking me for this recipe, and I love them so much that they ultimately made their way into my cookbook.
I’m lucky to live in a suburb of Washington DC that offers an abundance of asian grocery stores, both small and large. It has given me the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of products I might not otherwise have the chance to pick up locally, though they’re all typically available at online retailers like Amazon. While they may be available online, they’re something great about wandering a massive aisle filled with sauces, and having strangers offer me unsolicited recommendations about which brands are best. I always take their advice and it has led to wonderful discoveries.
It was in these stores that I first got excited about gyoza and dumplings. Most of the shops have huge freezer sections, some with hundreds of different dumpling varieties. I’ve tried many of them.
Even though I eat meat, I especially like the vegetarian dumplings because the meat is typically not cooked in frozen dumplings. You have to be much more careful when preparing the meaty options; I usually check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to be on the safe side. Whereas with the vegetarian options, I can usually nuke them for a few minutes and quickly have a tasty snack.
I will still purchase the frozen dumplings, but I’ve since also learned to make them from scratch. These are not difficult, and I like having more control over the ingredients. When I bring them to parties, the platter is usually wiped clean in a matter of minutes. I like that.
Scallions vs Green Onions
This recipe calls for scallions. Wondering about the difference between scallions and green onions? Read scallions vs. green onions to learn more!
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Mushroom Gyoza
5 from 6 votes
These vegetarian mushroom gyoza are perfect party appetizers! They taste amazing and can be prepared in advance.
1/2teaspoontamari or soy sauce,plus more for serving
1teaspoontoasted sesame oil
1/2teaspoonsambal oelek
small dumpling wrappers(I used Nasoya Round Wraps)
vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Heat the olive oil and sea salt in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the mushrooms and allow them to sweat for several minutes to release all of the water. Once the water is mostly gone, turn up the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, scallions, tarami, sesame oil and sambal.
Fill a small bowl with water. Pick up a dumpling wrapper and wet the top edge of it with some water. Place a teaspoon of the mushroom filling into the wrapper, fold it in half and press it to close (see notes on how to fold the wrapper decoratively). Place the dumpling on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining filling.
Heat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat. Taking care not to overcrowd the pan, add several dumplings (7-8 for an average sized skillet) flat side down. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the bottoms are nice and brown, gently swirling the pan around to prevent sticking. Immediately add 1/4 cup of water, cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. (Be careful as the oil might spatter; I recommend wearing an oven mitt when adding the water). Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the wrapper is nicely steamed and most of the water is gone from the pan. Set the cooked dumplings aside and repeat until all the dumplings are cooked.
Serve with tamari, soy sauce or dumpling sauce.
Notes
Here's a video that demonstrates how to fold gyoza.
Most mushroom varieties will work in this recipe. Feel free to try using shiitake, oyster, or whatever type of mushroom you have on hand.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
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The key characteristic of gyoza (餃子) lies in its cooking method, which involves both pan-frying and steaming. They are first fried in a hot pan until crispy brown on the bottom sides, then a small amount of water is added before the pan is covered to quickly steam the entire dumplings.
Gyoza [餃子] is a Japanese word for dumplings (potstickers.) Typically, there are a few ways of cooking gyoza in Japan, pan-fried or boiled, in some cases steamed. This particular recipe is pan-fried option called Yaki-Gyoza [焼き餃子] which literally means pan-fried dumplings.
Gyoza is juicy and mouth-watering Japanese dumplings, usually filled with ground meat, cabbage, Chinese chives (called Nira in Japanese), ginger, and garlic. The thin dough wrappers allow for a crispy outside when pan-fried and a juicy inside.
Gyozas are Japanese dumplings that are typically made with a pork and vegetable filling. They are pan-fried or steamed, and are often served with a dipping sauce. Dumplings, on the other hand, can be found in many different cuisines.
By using hot air to cook off the dumplings, you get that sought-after crunch without the oily pay-off, keeping the calorie intake low. So it turns out store-bought gyozas are actually as healthy as everyone says. The only downside of this craze is that they keep selling out.
Gyoza is the Japanese variation on the traditional Chinese recipe of potstickers. They are usually made with thinner, more delicate wrappers, and the filling is more finely textured. The thinner skins mean that gyoza get crispier than chewy potstickers.
There are usually three types of gyoza that are found and enjoyed in Japan. That is yaki gyoza, age gyoza, and sui gyoza. The traditional method of steaming isn't so often seen in Japan unless dining in a Chinese food establishment.
This double-frying creates an extra-crisp bottom crust. The instructions on the back of a bag of frozen dumplings often skip the initial fry in the way of convenience, but it's worth taking the time if you're going to use this method.
Jiaozi (pronounced "jow-zee") are perhaps the most common type of Chinese dumpling. Crescent-shaped and formed with an opaque wrapper made from wheat dough, jiaozi are usually filled with ground pork, cabbage, and scallions, and served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.
Chinese potstickers and Japanese gyoza are similar dumplings but have some differences: 1. Wrapper: Chinese potstickers typically have a thicker, chewier wrapper made from wheat flour dough, while Japanese gyoza wrappers are thinner and more delicate.
To pan-fry the gyoza, you will need a lidded 10-inch nonstick pan or a well-seasoned carbon steel pan. (You could also use whatever skillet you have, but increase the oil and keep a close eye on the gyoza.)
The best side dishes to serve with Asian dumplings (East Asia) are ramen, tomato and egg stir fry, fried greens, chilli miso steamed aubergine, pork belly fried rice, cucumber salad (Oi Muchim), tahini miso noodles, and claypot tofu.
The panfrying method starts with lightly frying dumplings in a generous splash of neutral oil, like canola or vegetable, then finishes the cooking process by creating intense steam from pouring liquid into the hot pan. Start by adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of neutral oil to a nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
The steam-fry or potsticker technique is the classic method for Japanese gyoza or Chinese guo tie. Essentially, you fry the frozen dumplings, then add water to the pan and cover them to steam through, then fry them again once the water evaporates. This double-frying creates an extra-crisp bottom crust.
In China, gyoza (called jiaozi in Chinese) is commonly cooked and eaten boiled. In the northern areas, the wrapper/skin is thicker and mostly boiled, while in the southern regions, they are usually eaten as small steamed or soup dumplings made into bite-sized pieces. 2.
Dumplings should be steamed. In my opinion they cease to be dumplings when they are fried, they turn into a TGI Friday's appetizer. Gyoza, or potstickers are delicious when crisped on the bottom and then steamed, but they still retain a good bit of tenderness in their skin.
You can steam them for a soft chewy exterior or pan-fry them for a crispy crunchy bottom! Either way, you can't go wrong with a dumpling, but there is a divide within the foodie community about which is better!
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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