It’s been over six years since I mooned here over a lost dumpling love. Dumplings are kind of a fixation for me; I am unwaveringly convinced that small pockets of food wrapped elegantly in a thin dough are among the universe’s most perfect foods; portable and petite, servings easily scaled, I dare you to find a nutritious food not improved by an adorable doughy package. The vegetable dumplings that I used to get at a chain of otherwise average west side Chinese restaurants were my all-time favorite; before they changed the recipe, I regularly rerouted my day to stop there for an order, and a beer. (Sidebar: Can we talk about how delicious a cold beer in a glass is with potstickers? No, different conversation, huh? Onwards!)
Anyway, I hope you haven’t mistaken my silence since on the matter as a sign I’ve found any peace. I have not. While I still cannot resist vegetable dumplings/wontons/gyoza/potstickers on any take-out menu, hoping to find within their centers the dumplings I once knew and loved, I’ve had enough mystery vegetable mush to accept that if you want spectacular vegetable dumplings, you’ll want to make them at home.
Not that I do, or at least, not often. All that chopping and pressing and folding can feel like a project, and more than once, my interest in finishing has vanished when my puny counter has been covered end-to-end in a potsticker convention while I still have half a bowl of filling to go.
But last week, I started daydreaming about a vegetable dumpling that was filled not with the usual dull medley of overcooked mushrooms, cabbage and carrots but with an equivalent volume of lightly cooked, bright green spring vegetables — finely chopped asparagus, mellow nutty favas, sweet little peas or the like. Spring is finally here, and I think we should show it some gratitude by taking a break from dull, seasonless vegetables. At last.
The result is everything I’d dreamed it would be, and much less tedious than I remembered, perhaps because, for once, I ended up keeping the volume to a reasonable few dozen — more than enough for dinner, not so much that you’ll be eating them through pumpkin carving season. The flavor is almost as complex as the dumplings I still miss, but distinctly fresher; I think tiny green pockets of spring, seared in a pan and dipped in a potent scallion marinade, with or without a crisp cold drink, could be exactly what your mid-week needs.
New Events: The second book tour may be behind us, but I’m still occasionally (heh) leaving my apartment to speak/sign/demo/etc. here and there. I’ve added new events (including a demo at the Food Book Fair this Friday in Brooklyn) on the Events page, and will include more details as they become available. [Events & Book Touring]
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One year ago: Cinnamon Toast French Toast + Cookbook Preview (I can hardly believe it’s been a year. *thud*)
Two years ago: Ribboned Asparagus Salad with Lemon
Three years ago: Creamed Chard and Spring Onions and Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing
Four years ago: Buttermilk Ice Cream and Black Bread
Five years ago: Cauliflower, Bean and Feta Salad and Jim Lahey’s Pizza Bianca
Six years ago: Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo and Olives
Spring Vegetable Potstickers
This is a flexible recipe, so don’t fret if you don’t have the exact ingredient list. Scallions could be spring onions. Garlic chives could be regular chives, or scallions tops instead. The tofu could be silkier. If you’re not into tofu (like this guy I married, but he will still eat it in this or that), here’s a fun alternative: cellophane noodles. I often see these minced in dumplings and think they’d be tasty here too.
As for the “spring” part, I used asparagus and favas for my potstickers but you should use a mix of whatever vegetables look awesome right now, be they peas or lima beans or more. You’re looking for 3 to 3 1/4 cups total spring vegetables once they’re chopped.
I (currently) draw the line at making my own potsticker wrappers, but if you feel so inclined, I see a lot of great looking recipes on the web (this one comes recommended by a commenter, below). When buying wrappers, look for ones intended for dumplings, not wontons, if you can. The latter will be thicker. (I, apparently, bought Korean mandu wrappers, and they worked like a dream.)
Yield: Approximately 50 potstickers
Potstickers
3 to 3 1/4 cups chopped spring vegetables (such as asparagus, favas, peas, lima beans or more) (I used 2 1/4 cups chopped asparagus from 12 ounces stalks plus 1 cup cooked favas from about 1 pound fresh in their pods)
1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as safflower, canola or peanut
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (from about 3/4 of a bundle, about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled minced (if using garlic chives, omit)
1 cup (about 6 ounces) firm tofu, chopped small (see Note up top for alternative)
1/2 cup garlic or regular chives
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
To assemble
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
50 round dumpling wrappers (most packages contain 50)
Scallion dipping sauce
2 to 3 scallions (or, remainder of bundle used for potstickers), thinly sliced (use some in sauce, some for garnish)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon regular or spicy toasted sesame oil
To cook
1 to 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Prepare vegetables: If using asparagus, cut off tough ends and sliced stalks into 1/2-inch segments. If using fava, remove them from their pods. Boil favas for 3 minutes, then drain, and press them out of their opaque skins (if difficult, first make a small slit on one end with a paring knife). To prepare peas, simply remove them from their pods. To prepare lima beans, remove them from their pods and simmer them for about 5 minutes to soften.
Make filling: Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and heat, then add scallions, ginger and garlic, if using. Cook for one minute, then add vegetables in the order of the time they need to cook until crisp-tender. Asparagus will need about 4 minutes, peas about 2 to 3, and favas and limas will already be tender, so just a minute to warm them. Add tofu and chives and cook just until chives wilt, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and transfer to a fine-mesh colander, to drain off any excess liquid. Let cool in colander for 15 minutes.
If mixture is still on the chunky side, either chop it finely on a cutting board or pulse it a few times in a food processor. You don’t want to puree it; bits of vegetable should still be recognizable, but it will be easier to mound in dumplings if chopped well. Adjust seasonings if needed and mix with sesame oil.
Assemble potstickers: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or very lightly oil them. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; this will act as your “glue.” Most dumpling wrappers come dusted with a little starch, so you’ll be okay if you want to skip the cornstarch, but I always feel safer having a little extra as an insurance plan.
Remove first wrapper from package and put it on a plate; place a damp towel or piece of plastic wrap over the unused ones to keep them from drying out. Brush wrapper with cornstarch-water mixture. Mound 1 to 2 teaspoons filling in the center. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling, sealing the center edge shut. Make a few small pleats down each sides to seal in the rest of the filling, while trying to press out as much air as possible (a process that looks difficult but is so easy, I think you’ll find it intuitive — use the photos in the post as guidance). Rest the dumpling, pleats up, on prepared tray and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. When you’re all done, look over your potstickers; use the cornstarch mixture and pinching to seal any open sides or loosened pleats.
You can now freeze the dumplings on their trays, then transfer them to a freezer bag once they will no longer stick together, or cook them right away.
Make dipping sauce: Mix ingredients and adjust levels to taste. For a sweeter sauce, add a 1/2 teaspoon honey or brown sugar.
Cook potstickers: Heat a large skillet (I really like to use a nonstick here) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat this too. Once the oil is hot, arrange potstickers in a single layer and cook until browned at the bottom. This will take about 1 minute for fresh ones and up to 5 minutes for frozen ones. Add water; it will hiss and sputter, so move quickly. You’ll want the smaller amount of water for a smaller batch and the larger if you’re cooking more. Put a lid on the pot and cook dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes more (plus an additional minute if your dumplings were frozen to begin with). Remove lid and simmer until any remaining water has cooked off.
Transfer to serving plate; garnish with scallion greens. Serve with dipping sauce.
Oh, these look so summery to me. I bet some banana shallots would be great.
Oooh Deb! These look phenomenal – and something I’ve been meaning to try! Definitely a step up from the cabbage/mushroom/mystery mush… Thanks for the recipe!
Having been obsessed with potstickers since I was about 8, these dumplings look fabulous! I live with a bunch of girls who insist on celebrating the Chinese New Year all year long as an excuse to eat potstickers endlessly, so I bet they’ll love it when I make them these ones! :) Thanks for the recipe!
I’m a big fan of potstickers but never have made them yet. Definitely adding this on the list to try! Loving all the pretty greens!
Why did my food processor have to die. Whhhhhyy?
Oh, I’m so going to have a dumpling making party!
These are gorgeous, Deb! I want these in my mouth, now!
I have never made dumplings but these look so good and so easy! Thanks for the recipe.
I know how you feel–it just gives me a sense of security and happiness to have bags of frozen dumplings stocked in the freezer. Just finishing off a batch of pork and cabbage–maybe time for some veg. The best dumpling dough recipe I’ve found is Andrea Nguyen’s from ‘Asian Dumplings.’ Very simple, hot-water dough, and consistantly excellent.
You know, I’ve always had a really hard time making potstickers that don’t burn to death before they’re cooked. I may have to give it another shot.
I would like to emphasize that the Korean brand you chose for the wrappers is really the best. I grew up with my mom bemoaning the crappy thinness of other brands and it was only until a few years ago when my mom RAVED about the brand you chose for it’s pillowy, pliancy and chewy texture. In sum, all wrappers are NOT equal.
Katya — Thank you. I wanted to include a link to a recipe, but couldn’t find what I’d consider a go-to in the first few Google results.
Julie — I love that I bought mandu wrappers without realizing it (although I did think that the writing looked Korean!). They were excellent. Thin but didn’t tear. Didn’t really dry out while I worked with others.
New Yorkers — I bought my wrappers and garlic chives (and ginger, and just about everything else but the vegetables) at M2M, that chain of Asian convenience stores.
Kelley — A FP is not a requirement. I just used it to make quick work of chopping the mixture.
I’m still devastated that I missed you during your second tour to my neck of the woods. And my friends and adoring husband have advised me that going to NYC and trying to figure out where you live is a) rude b) not possible c) stalkerish. Luckily for me you are still churning out AWESOME recipes like this one (hooray new spring veg. options that aren’t pasta!). I can’t WAIT to get to it this weekend!
Beautiful dumplings! Seems like the dumpling is one food item that unites us all -most of us have some type of favorite! Lovely folding technique and I adore that round plate! : )
I love making vegetable potstickers. But how on earth did you keep your folded potstickers from drying out while you crimped the remaining ones?
Samara — They dried a little at the edges but I wasn’t concerned; you’re about to steam and cook them anyway. (But you could cover them with plastic I suppose to avoid this.)
whoa, I just made a version of mostly vegetarian kimchi mandu (potstickers) and was thinking how I wish I knew more good vegetarian versions of this. love that you used Korean dumpling wrappers! thanks for the great recipe and I can’t wait to try it out!
Perfect for May Day! I love to make Wonton Soup for my dinner(in February) every year – I always popped bags of them into the freezer while I’m making them for dinner and am thrilled to pull them out for soup into March. I’ll do the same, should I overdo it tonight!
Thank you for a beautiful recipe, as always!
Even as a 20 year old, I still love pot stick ever since i was child. My mum also likes the veggie version. I am so upset i can not see you person because I am in another country! I admire you so much.
For the wrapps you should only buy one that are decent thickness or else they break up when being fried. I normally see that they about 1 mm thick
I love potstickers, and to find them vegetarian, too? I’m in heaven! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I made something like this years ago and had completely forgotten them. Thanks for the reminder. Is it possible to freeze these and cook them later?
Oops, sorry I see that you answered my question at the end of the recipe. Thanks!!
Exquisite recipe and photos! I can never fold potstickers nearly as nicely as you do. Next time I’ll try your method of brushing the (whole?) wrapper with cornstarch/water before filling and pinching shut… In the past, I’ve filled dumplings, then dipped my fingers in cornstarch/water and run them around the edges, but they sometimes have trouble holding their seal. Your potsticker pleats are perfect!
I’m a self-proclaimed dumplingphile here – I LOVE all of these ingredients and the finished product. After reading your beautifully done post, maybe I can find the courage to try putting these togeher myself! Thanks for the great post.
Seriously, how do you ALWAYS KNOW exactly what we’re in the mood for?
These look so good, Deb! Love that scallion dipping sauce.
Every previous attempt I’ve made at making potstickers and dumplings have been a failure, but after eyeing asparagus at the Farmers Market last weekend I know I’m going to have to give this recipe a stab. :D
Where do you find fava beans?
Kimara — They should be in season now in the Northeast (available at farmers markets) but I, like a fool, bought them from Fresh Direct and they were awful (I had to throw half away).
I have and love your cookbook. gave a few of them out as gifts this year as well. Would love a custom inscription even though I already have the book…is that possible?
Shirin — You’d have to find me in person somewhere! Not sure where you live but I’m not doing much more book tour-ing right now.
Hey Deb – this looks like a good recipe to try. If it works out for us (meaning I can make those pleats), I would like to be able to make it for my brother and his significant other. They are vegan and the significant other detests soy sauce. The odd thing is that I think she eats tofu. It doesn’t make sense to me but can you suggest another dipping sauce? …because what are dumplings without dipping sauce?!
Here’s the recipe I mentioned – http://www.chow.com/recipes/28052-basic-dumpling-dough.
Also, Andrea Nguyen’s books are wonderful and her web site, asiandumplingtips.com, is the best. Gluten free potsticker recipe…
Making the wrappers is a pain, no doubt, but whenever I buy wonton wrappers I get frustrated because they rip so easily. Wholeheartedly second your advice to buy the thicker ones, if you’re (understandably) not into making the dough.
Total potsticker junkie here. Love how fresh these look. I twist the cooking method a bit. I first place some toasted sesame oil in a non-stick pan, then go ahead and add a little water to the oil. No sizzling, and when the water starts to bubble, which is almost right away, then I add the potstickers and cover for a minute or so. I remove the lid and crank up the heat and, when the water evaporates, the potstickers brown on the bottom after bathing in steam. You can then get them as crispy (or not) as you like at this point.
Sabine — Oooh, that’s like making them carnitas-style! I will try that tonight.
LOVE! I was so disappointed once by a Dumpling food truck in Los Angeles. They were so dry!! I feel like this recipe would work with any number of spring veggie combinations inside. I will have to fight the urge to fill with almond butter and dark chocolate though…
I love these and yours look delicious and fresh just like spring. I will have to try your recipe.
I used to travel to Hong Kong for work and since then I am totally obsessed with dumplings. I still haven’t had the courage to make any of my own though. I think you just gave me the kick in the pants I needed. Off to the oriental food store!
Dinner tonight? Yes, please. Thanks for the great idea, Deb!! These look so cute and I am totally psyched to freeze half a batch for later consumption… :D
HiDeb –
I’ve seen some people refer to using wonton wrappers and I just happen to have them in my fridge! Any recommendations on how to adapt the recipe/technique?
Thanks,
Gayle
Gayle — They should work, may just need longer to cook. (Does the package have cooking directions?)
Yum yum yum! I’ll have to try this, it sounds like the perfect spring food :)
Love pot stickers.. this is a must have
Ugh, I want these baaaaad. Good thing we already had dumplings and edamame/mixed mushroom stir-fry on the menu for tonight!!
I don’t think I’ve ever had a vegetable potsticker! Sounds delicious! And I completely agree about healthy ingredients being improved by a doughy wrapper.
Oh I was just looking at veggie potsticker recipes (including yours) yesterday! Good fortune for me!
I love everything about this post. I became somewhat obsessed (rather suddenly) with potstickers last fall when I discovered a recipe for a filling of pork and ginger apple chutney. It is utterly divine, but very autumnal. What a thrill to see such a springy recipe!
(Here’s the recipe for the Pork & Ginger Apple Potstickers for anyone interested: http://bit.ly/ZzZGJr )
Oh yum now I want some potstickers and a beer! You’re right, potstickers are the best! Your version sounds delicious and you totally did spring justice!
You reminded me I have been meaning to make potstickers for years now. So cute! If I can sub the tofu for cellophane noodles, what can I sub the cellophane noodles for? ja! Firm ricotta maybe.
Yum! Do you ever put flour down on the cookie sheet before frying, to get an even crisper bottom? Good tip on the dumpling wrappers as opposed to wonton skins – mine always break.
Yum, Yum, Yum. I love the idea of creating a bright, spring-like potsticker, yet still keep the integrity of the original. Genius.
looks lovely!
Deb – do you peel your favas? i’m currently in Italy, where favas are everywhere, but I can’t bring myself to boil, shuck, and peel the beans…any guidance on how to utilize these while in season?
They look really delicious! We’ve just finished dinner, but I almost feel like going into the kitchen again with your photo’s ;)
Making dumplings are truly a labor of love, but every little fold and pinch is worth the effort. What a lovely ode to spring!
I have a little gadget from an Asian foods store that you set the wrapper in, fill it, dampen the edges, and then close the gadget. It seals and crimps for you. Not quite as pretty as yours, though.
Dumplings are my weak spot. It doesn’t help that my favorite Chinese restaurant is directly on my way home from the gym. I’ve wanted to make them at home for the longest time and for some reason have just never tried. These look excellent in all their doughy glory :)
These look delicious – love veggie potstickers, will definitely be trying these out soon.
I’ve decided I am going to make dumplings/potstickers this weekend! Your potstickers look scrumptious. I think I am going to make my version with cabbage, tofu, glass noodle, maybe kimchi or Chinese leek. I love potstickers because you can pretty much add whatever you like to the fillings. Sometimes I just boil them in hot water for the soft skin kind of dumplings. It’s great to make a lot of them at a time and freeze them.
I agree completely about the dumpling as the perfect food! Every culture around the world has its own version (pierogi in Eastern Europe, samosa in India, ashak in Afghanistan, empanadas in South America, etc.) and they are often served by market women as street food, so they are also a central part of women’s ability to support their children in many countries! Food historian nerding out over here…
Gorgeous as usual, love the addition of tofu!
Hooray for homemade dumplings! Such a perfect way to eat the new spring vegetables. :)
Oh, the Ollie’s veggie dumplings! I loved them, too, and made many a meal out of just a double order. I don’t like mushrooms, but I’m pretty sure the dumplings had at least a couple of different kinds in there. I thought it was funny that they tinted the wrappers green, but my (smart) Chinese roommate pointed out that it was probably to make it easier to tell them apart from the meat ones in the freezer.
I fell in love with ‘jiao zi’, as they are called in mainland China, while living in China. I might have to ask around if wrappers are to be found locally. You’ve inspired me.
Of course, I love ‘whoon tun’ as well (known as wantons in most places). but I think egg roll wrappers are all I’ve found around here.
Typo 1st paragraph: “The vegetable dumplings that I used to get a chain”…do you mean at a chain? Love your recipes, love your blog and only mention the typos for “readability” sake. Hope you don’t mind! Also wanted to say that I was afraid that after your cookbook success you might drop the blog. So glad that you have continued…I am sure it is a lot of work but I look for a new recipe and blog daily and would really miss you!
JP — Thanks, now fixed. I would never drop the blog! I find this way more fun than cookbook writing. ;)
lauren — People say that very tiny ones may not need to be peeled. I bet in Italy you can get them; I’ve not experienced such tiny ones (yet). I think it’s totally worth it. They are so delicious. It seems like a project but with a sharp paring knife around and some music playing, I find I get through a pound quite quickly. I think they’d be wonderful in place of the peas in this gorgeous presentation too.
Absolutely love the sound of these! I’m a 5th grade teacher, and planted a garden with my class this year. We just got some fava beans yesterday… I think I will try these out!
This looks oh so good. I love gyozas and this looks like a perfect spring snack!!! Thanks for the recipe :-)
These look gorgeous, can’t wait to try them. You should know that despite possible frustrations with dumplings, your empanadas post and your love of Middle Eastern flavors inspired me to make a delicious sweet potato/goat cheese/lentil (cooked with garlic and sage!) dumplingturnover thingy, using puff pastry, the other week. So, thank you!!
Wow! You folded them pretty well :)
I’m with JP – so glad you’re still blogging. This is one of the five websites bookmarked on my web browser. Thanks Deb!
These look so delicious! I’m going to raid the farmers market this weekend and make them!
Ollie’s! There was one right across the street from campus. I’m a steamed vegetable dumping fanatic, so I hadn’t even unpacked my bags the first day of college and I’d already picked up an order. I remember they had these spinach won tons that were also delicious. There was a creaminess to them that I could never quite put my finger on them. Maybe sour cream? I just don’t know.
I was just telling someone, “You know what would make Smitten Kitchen the BEST blog? If she had East Asian recipes, too!” Yay!!
I was just feeling like I needed something a bit more creative to play with! We got our first favas and asparagus a few weeks ago in Berkeley, so I’ve just been grilling the asparagus and mashing up the favas to put on toast. Simple is best with spring veggies, but this should showcase the flavors without being so… everyday. Yum.
Deb these are the prettiest potstickers I’ve ever seen! And I love that you used spring veggies in them. So green and vibrant and glowing!
I love, love, LOVE dumplings! I already have a go to recipe, but it has pork mince in it, so it’s not suitable for everyone so I’ll give these a go with the addition of some finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems and some water chestnuts, I love the texture that the water chestnuts add.
I’ve been making pot stickers for many years, always with one or another of the boughten wrappers–gyoza wrappers if I can find them. Two people to fill and seal makes the work go much more quickly. I then freeze them and haul out enough for a meal when I want them. A drizzle of chicken stock instead of water adds a lot of flavor if you aren’t vegetarian. Timing: slick the bottom of a skillet with a film of oil and place the pot stickers in it. Fry on medium until the bottoms start to color (pick one up to check), add the broth or water, cover and turn the heat to low for 10 min. Remove cover, raise heat and cook until the liquid is gone. Pry loose. My favorite dip is equal parts vinegar and soy sauce with a drop of Tabasco.
These look great. Only problem is: spring vegetables have yet to hit the farmers market in Philly (where I am for the next few weeks). Is this normal?
These look amazing. I love the idea of making a ton of these and freezing them for quick dinners during the week.
I absolutely adore dumplings! But not enough to make my own (yet)! Go you! ;)
Man oh man, I love potstickers! We usually do ones filled with ground pork and veggies (garlic, green onions, diced mushrooms, a little cabbage, and maybe an egg to keep the pork from getting too dense) and then freeze them. We’ll have to try these for some variety! I taught my husband how to fold them and we make an evening out of filling them while watching a movie.
After being cooked, they also do quite nicely in a good soup broth.
Also, ponzu makes a great dipping sauce for these if you don’t feel like making something :D
Do you ever buy Asian groceries at Sunshine Mart above St. Mark’s Bookshop?
This looks delicious and amazing! However I live in rural Kenya and one of the reasons that I love your website is because your recipes use very few prepackaged ingredients and you make so many things from scratch – meaning that I can actually accomplish most of your recipes from way out here! Needless to say I’m not going to find any dumpling wrappers at the grocery store. It would be great if you could tackle the wrapper recipe sometime, or maybe recommend a source that could help me figure it out.
I share your love of potstickers, for sure! Now in Singapore, I have many places to get pretty good ones from so I don’t need to make them as often, but I would recommend you give artichoke-filled ones a shot. I remember I made sooo many: half of them as normal gyoza, and saved the other half as capeletti, with tomato sauce.
Cheers!
Oh, I love potstickers probably at the same level of obsessiveness as you do. And it’s been forever since my last adventure with these. I kinda prefer gyoza wrappers compared to wonton ones as I find gyoza ones more durable. Never thought I’d see asparagus on one though. For Chinese ones, it’s almost always chives or carrots. I imagine any super fresh veggies, even spinach, would be good in a doughy package.
Bring on the seasonal pot sticker. Any filling that’s tasty by itself is doubly tasty in a dumpling. I’ve always got turned off making my own dumpling pastry by the thought of rolling out each dumpling wrapping individually but I do have a pasta maker so maybe it could be adapted to work as a dumpling wrapper roller. I saw a recipe the other day for rolling phyllo pastry through a pasta roller which I thought was a bit of a brilliant idea too.
Everything about this post is beautiful. The colors came out really well in the photographs. Can I ask you where you get most of your produce? It’s always so beautiful.
These look absolutely amazing I think these would be a real crowd pleaser. On a side note: I recently purchased your cookbook and I wanted to say it’s fantastic, I am looking forward to getting in the kitchen and giving the receipes a go.
When we are in NYC we always go to a little dive called “The Excellent Dumpling House” 111 Lafayette St. We live in Washington DC and everytime we visit NYC my family (who are very picky) must go to this gem. We love it. Can’t wait to try your recipe as well.
ok, i know that people comment all the time about how you’ve read their mind. but seriously, i just bought a package of wonton wrappers, tofu and a bunch of spring veggies with the plan of making some sort of pot sticker. so thanks for the recipe! i have a feeling my almost 1 year old will enjoy making a mess eating them.
Hi! got any recommendations for a gluten-free pot sticker? All the won-ton wrappers I’ve found in store have been wheat based. I need a rice or something else if possible.
Looks divine!
Thank you for including the link from a reader for the wrappers. I live in Dubuque where there are many wonderful people but not so many fancy ingredients. Dumplings will happen this weekend with homemade wrappers. Then when I go home to Seattle at the end of the summer, I will have no need to buy wrappers!
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I just bought your cookbook. I bumped into it here in the Bahamas in a lovely, little gift shop and almost squealed with excitement! It’s so great – the only cookbook I’ve literally read cover to cover :)
I took a course in making Asian appetizers. Making the folds, pleats, for these little dumplings is NOT easy. I’m 71 and this 20 year old kid next to me did it so well. He said he was part Chinese and had been making them almost daily since he was 14 years old at home for family meals. He worked with me and I finally got the technique. It’s like the old joke, “A tourist in New York City was lost and asked someone, “How do you get to Carnage Hall?’ He was told, “Practice, practice and more practice.” These dumplings are delicious and fun to make.
Mmmm, I have never made it!! I try it!!
Riv — Thank you. I try to buy vegetables at one of NYC’s greenmarkets when I can, but in this case, I threw the fava and asparagus on an order from a grocery store that delivers. The fava were terrible; I actually had to throw almost half away because they were rotten. I should know better by now.
Marlene — I linked to an excellent-looking, simple recipe for potsticker dough in the recipe’s headnotes. An earlier commenter swears by it and it doesn’t look hard to do at all. Good luck! (And also, thank you. I really, really do try to avoid prepackaged stuff. I just… couldn’t bring myself to make these if I didn’t have to this time.)
Janet — I haven’t! I should.
i absolutely love pot stickers/dumbplings. In Nepal (where I am orginally from) we call it mo:mo. Here is a video and link to how it is folded. http://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/2012/09/our-love-affair-with-momo-healthier-one.html
I love potstickers, but cannot get that even brown bottom without sticker, tearing or burning – maybe I’m going too fast or too slow! Looks Yummy!
Hi Roxanne — In addition to the other comment suggestions above (which are excellent), I find torn potstickers so frustrating that this is one of the few things I regularly make in a nonstick pan. I don’t use them much these days, but when there’s so much (delicious filling) to lose, I don’t want to risk it, especially if you are using a very thin wrapper.
These are beautiful…I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t love a great potsticker! Very nice recipe and pictures.
I love potstickers and can eat them any day. This is a great vegetarian idea. Can’t wait to try making these.Must make a gazillion of these ones, they’ll be eaten up fast at our table. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Deb!
There is so much goodness in these!! Yum!
Roxanne – the cooking technique I learned is:
1. 1-2 tbls oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
2. Add dumplings.
3. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (around the dumplings).
4. Cover and turn on heat med to med-high.
5. Keep covered until the water is mostly gone (my stove and pan take about 8 mins). Think- “I’m trying to let all the water be gone, but I just can’t wait any longer!”
6. Remove cover and let the rest of the water evaporate.
7. Cook just about a minute longer to brown the dumplings.
The key to avoiding tearing is to not move them around. Where you placed them in the pan is where they stay until you take them out. No checking, no moving.
I am so impressed by your potstickers! REALLY….those look better than some of the ones you buy from the asian groceries. And if you don’t mind me adding my two cents about those who’ve experienced tearing at the bottom before it gets brown and crispy. Add a lot of olive oil to start and make sure it’s sizzling hot. Don’t add water until AFTER the bottom has brown up. My other thought is that if it tears, you may have added too much filling. The wrapper can only hold so much. My mom brushes a beaten egg along the edges of the wrapper to help seal the potstickers. I will try cornstarch next time to see how that works.
Also, I have to point out that…you should check on the dumplings. Chinese people do that all the time and you can move them around. You don’t want the bottom to burn. And don’t add the water and then walk away. Add the water AFTER the bottom has browned up. If you add water before the bottom turns crispy, you’re asking for soggy potstickers.
YUM! I’m so excited to use this! It looks like a winner!
Man, these look fantastic! Maybe, maybe this is the year I make my own dough, we’ll see.
Incidentally, I’ve been making those chorizo chicken empenadas since apparently six years ago and my husband begs me to make them for every event. So thanks!
These look absolutely divine – and I love that you can freeze them for later! I will be assembling these this weekend and using spring’s most bountiful offerings. Yey for Farmer’s Markets!
These dumplings are totally up my alley. Almost every restaurant uses a combo of indistinguishable mush, so it’s nice to use fresh in-season veggies. Mmm!
I love that these are vegetarian. It’s so hard to find potstickers in restaurants that don’t have meat in them. It’s always ground pork or chicken.
What a PERFECT dumpling! One of my favorite things to do is to go out for dim sum and these look just like something you would have a great restaurant. Thanks for the step by step instructions. A must make! :-)
I’m with you on dumplings…these look especially addictive…
I always wanna try to make dumplings at home but what you said about having your entire counter dirty and having pressed little dumplings for an hour only to see there is still half a bowl of filling to go….urgh. And even worse what if after all this they’re not good?! Haha. Once I find a reliable wrapper I’ll try….
Enhancement
A delicious variation on the traditional pork filling for pot stickers. After I stir-fried the vegetables and gave them a very quick trip in the food processor, I added 2 T Soy Sauce, 1 T Sherry and 1 T Sesame Oil. Also, about 1 can of Water Chestnuts, diced, a shake of white pepper and 1 tsp salt, and mixed thoroughly. The additions really added some sparkle. Next time I will add some diced raw shrimp. One other tip: there is a handy tool for forming the dumpling. Google “Dumpling Press” or check Amazon. It is very useful for forming the dumplings with their fluted edge and make quick work of folding them. They are very inexpensive. I have several so we can all sit around the kitchen table making them.
hi
can i bake them for more healthy version ?
also at what temperature..please respond
manu — I’ve never tried to bake dumplings like this before.
Thanks a lot. It’s 12:30am and now the only thing I want is to make some delicious pot stickers. They look delicious and I just added a bunch of stuff to my shopping list tomorrow.
Looking yum! Feeling like some asian now!
This is a Mayday treat, the dumplings look delicious :)
I read your fixation article and I couldn’t agree more. When asked what food I’d take on a deserted island, I say stuffed dough pockets of any region (all regions really!).
This is my first comment, but I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now. I often read your entry even if I’m not interested in the recipe! Crazy! I LOVE your book…just made strawberry cheesecake fools for a party later today. How lovely they look!
Delicious! I made these last night, for the veggies I used asparagus, English peas, leeks, spring onions and pea shoots. My grocery store only had wonton wrappers but they seemed to work fine and were actually really thin ( I could see the filing through the dough). I also threw more ginger in the dipping sauce and used chili oil instead of sesame oil. This recipe is so delicious, really wasn’t too hard to make and now I have a bunch of extras in my freezer that probably won’t even last this weekend we loved them so much!
I have also used the dumpling wrapper recipe that is given in the link and can agree that it’s really quite easy and makes the end result even better! Usually my husband is in charge of making the filling while I take care of the dough and we end up finishing around the same time.
The biggest pain, of course, is rolling them out. I can’t find the link I used but the easiest way I’ve found is to form the dough into a log and cut individual pieces from the log the way you would for gnocchi. Then I roll each piece into a circle (or as close to one as I can get!). It sounds more annoying, but I assure you that it’s easier than cutting out circles when the dough is that thin, and then you don’t have to gather the scraps and re-roll.
drooling now. can you tell me how long it took to prepare, from start to finish? I want to make sure I plan for enough time…
I’m shopping for a non-stick pan to use when a non-stick pan is really called for – as with pot stickers! What brand/type of non-stick pan do you use?
And thanks for yet another excellent recipe!
Anne — I haven’t done any research into the pros cons of different brands but I use this one. I bought it to make crepes easier.
OMG – torture. They look so good and I’m so hungry now. I wish I could order them from your blog :)
I made these last night, and they were DELICIOUS! I just used the veggies I had on-hand, and the result was really fabulous. I will definitely be using this as a go-to for finishing up leftover or unused veggies. Thanks for sharing! :)
Great recipe, and greater plate! I love it!
Wonderful recipe! I’ll bet you’ll appreciate two professional botanists’ perspective on asparagus biology: http://botanistinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/preparing-asparagus-the-facts-about-bracts-part-2/
I love this! I am definitely trying these!
Love this. Pot stickers are poetry. Delicious pockets of poetry.
Wow – I cannot wait to try these! Although I’m not convinced they will turn out as beautifully as yours. Awesome recipe! (keep the veggie ones coming ; )
Hello! longtime fan of your blog, first time ever commenting. I was amused to see Korean writing on your pictures, then wanted to chime in with a few tips about mandu/dumpling/potstickers.
Making your own dough seems like a lot of work, until you get the hang of it (although your arms do get tired from all the rolling after awhile); but it’s SO worth it, and once you’ve tried homemade dough, you’ll cringe at the thought of store-bought wrappers. Try it at least once, and I guarantee you’ll swear by it. (While you’re at it, put some potato starch into the dough, it’ll make them chewier and tastier!)
We like to make them with chives, cabbage, and tofu, and while it’s delicious to grill (is that the correct term?) them, you can also steam them dim sum-style (also really good, the wrappers get a slightly chewy texture), or stick them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes (more silky and soft).
For any fan of dumplings, I recommend Kingdom of Dumpling (singular, strangely) in San Francisco; the best dumplings I’ve ever had (other than homemade ;) of course!). This is where we learned to stick a small shrimp in each dumpling; shrimp and chives go really well together, I highly recommend it!
oh, and meat makes them (or anything, in fact. ha!) taste even better! most Koreans use pork, but beef also taste great (I don’t know about the US, but in Korea beef is more expensive than pork, which is why most people use them anyway)
I would have never thought of putting asparagus into my dumplings!
I have some people coming over to dinner, and I think this will just hit the spot as a starter. I might serve some Californian Chardonnay with it, ok I know its the “duh” category, but I am just so bad at picking a good wine. Vegetable and fruits do kind of mix, don’t they?
I went through a hard core addiction to pot stickers after being introduced to them late in life. To satisfy my need, I created a pot sticker meat loaf: ground pork and turkey, scallions, cilantro, chopped water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, egg, bread moistened with milk to bind were the basic ingredients. Then a glaze with rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil. Variations with hoisin sauce, cabbage, carrots, ensued. Panko would be a good binder probably, but living in the corn fields of Iowa as I was, they were hard to procure. It was a good way to get the flavor combination on a grad school budget.
Manu-
Dumplings of this type do not not require the bottoms being fried, simply omit this step and steam the dumpling instead, you can purchase Chinese steamers for a mere few dollars
To Katya; I opened my “Asian Dumplings” by Andrea Nguyen and there are two sections on dumpling skins. Which page were your referring to?
Perfect spring dish. I’m hungry already :-)
Beautiful post as always, but as a Chinese person I must say that a potsticker is not a potsticker without pork. Pork is the star, and Chinese cabbage or watercress is the supporting actor. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozi#Guotie
I didn’t realize until after I’d made the filling that the wrappers I had in the freezer were square, so I folded the potstickers handkerchief/tortellini-style instead and they still had plenty of surface area on the bottom for crisping up!
(Also bless you for creating the first ever dumpling recipe that actually correctly predicts the yield. With most recipes, I start with twice the number of wrappers in case — as usually happens — there ends up being way too much filling.)
I feel like making that tonight. I rarely make asian food because for some reason, I afraid it’s gonna go wrong, but those look so tasty that I might try.
Beautiful photography. Green spring potstickers! Love the all green and I’m a tofu fan, so this is definitely a keeper.
Those look wonderful. And healthy
Made these tonight and they were delicious!!! Had some extra dumpling wrappers and filled them with pear, brie, pecans, and honey. Thank you for this recipe!
Deb these look amazing! You have one lucky family.
I made these last night as a light dinner for my boyfriend and me, and they were delicious! I used asparagus, frozen peas, and spring onions as the vegetables (dining on a student budget is great). For the wrappers, I used the recipe linked to in the notes, and I can vouch that they work really well. I might add a bit of salt to them next time, though the soy sauce you dip them into does compensate for their lack of salt.
Since I used homemade wrappers, I only had 30 or so dumplings, and I had about 3/4 of a cup of filling left over. Fortunately, it made a perfect filling for an omelet this morning! I put soy sauce instead of salt into the eggs, and it came out wonderfully.
Thanks, Deb, for such a flexible and delicious recipe!
Thanks so much Deb! I’m living in Geneva, Switzerland, where everything is closed on a Sunday, and so my housemates and myself pooled together all of our leftover veggies to make a batch of makeshift potstickers.
Courgette, fresh peas, ramp, coriander, red peppers, potato, vermicelli noodles, carrot, ginger and garlic with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and a bit of tabasco, inside dumpling skins using the recipe you linked to.
They were completely amazing – fresh, flavoursome and filling.
These are very delicious. Dumplings have a special place in my heart, and my stomach.
These were fantastic! Always love making potstickers and this is a perfect spring variety :) I used asparagus, peas, and edamame and added some lime juice. Thanks for posting!
I too made these with Wonton wrappers as that is all my local Whole Foods carried- and they came out really well. I do not own any nonstick pans but took a risk with my All Clad and they came out fine after some pleading. I did the fold over triangle style and it was easy and we too have a bunch frozen. It is a labor of love though and my husband got us Pizza for sustenance while we made lunch so better start when you have a couple of hours to spare. No regrets here and I am so proud of myself that we have potstickers in the freezer for weeknight dinners! Thanks Deb and keep the vegetarian dishes coming.
I absolutely adore potstickers! I have never made my own but these seem very doable. Your pictures are really helpful too. Thanks!
I love potstickers! I’ve only made mine with chicken though. I might just have to give this veggie version a go since I love tofu and am always looking for interesting ways to use it. And since I couldn’t find wrappers the first time I made them, I had to go the traditional dough route. I’ve just ended up doing it that way ever since. It’s pretty easy, but time consuming. Might have to hunt more for those wrappers though…
Beautiful photographs! Surprisingly, this recipe is vegan! Thanks! I look forward to trying this out. You’re the best!
I made these this weekend with the only wonton wrappers that my grocery store had (unfortunately no dumpling wrappers) and they were square — so mine did not turn out as nicely as yours and it was hard to make the pleats. But they still tasted good! My husband loved them (he loves anything potsticker and asian inspired) and I thought they were okay – pretty labor intensive. I used asparagus, carrots, and shredded brussel sprouts for the veggies. My husband is excited to have some frozen ones in the freezer!
Crying. Can’t wait to make these!
These look so delicious. Dumplings to me are such a comfort food. Plus, there’s a version of it in pretty much every culture and cuisine– samosas, spring rolls, spanakopita, etc etc. We made some dumplings too, with pork and shrimp. The recipe is very similar to yours, but with a meat alternative for the filling, check it out (linked)!
I made these on Saturday and they turned out great. I also used won ton wrappers (which are square) because that’s all I could find. So, they turned out more like little purses. But they were delicious. The folding got a little tedious – so I saved the filling and rest of the wrappers and will make for an easy weeknight dinner tonight. They are a bit laborious. Might be good to get a friend to help you with the assembly of them!
After looking in several stores, I ended up buying empanada wrappers. Hope they work for my potstickers tonight. :)
i love all the green in this recipe! perfect spring/summer food!
Oh my this has given me a major craving for dumplings. Not sure if it is quite strong enough to make my own (as here in Latin America I would need to make the wrappers too) but I will make do with some pre-made ones from my secret Chinese supply store! Amazing effort to make your own!
AMAZING!!! I will keep this recipe!
Made these tonight with peanut butter instead of tofu. Also used veggie broth instead of water for steaming They were delicious! Thanks for your inspiration!
Mmmm, those look so delicious!
WHY do people call them potstickers!? I’m from Texas, have lived in Europe and now Asia and I have NEVER heard the dumplings called potstickers! Is this just a New Yorker thing?!
My family practically travels to Massachusetts just to eat at this restaurant that has heavenly dumplings. This recipe is parallel to that restaurant’s dumplings.
I bit into one of these dumplings and literally said “DYNAMITE”. These are almost too good to be true, I think I ate 20 in one sitting!
+I added garlic and minced ginger to my sauce and it really livened it up!
+In the filling I added kale, edamame, and pea sprouts (to the recipe)
I used a pirogue/ravioli/dumpling press and it streamlined the whole process!
Smitten Kitchen, this recipe is magic and brought my family one of our most treasured meals right to our home. I can’t thank you enough for being so wonderful!
Yummy, these look absolutely delicious :)
I love, love, love spring vegetable potstickers. Your photography is awesome too :)
Deb, I am really excited about this recipe! My asparagus just started sprouting, and now I have the perfect recipe to use them in. Delicious. Thank you!! Aden
Thanks to you I have now tried and made my own potstickers……. as someone that eats vegetarian, I always felt left out! I made mine with edamame instead of fava beans and added a bit of sriracha to the dipping sauce!
These look delicious.. and honestly you have some of the prettiest food pictures out there!
These were delicious. Even my picky 4 year old liked them, and my 8 year old ate about 10 of them! I couldn’t find fava beans, so I just used green beans (they looked pretty nice), and spring onions when I forgot to get chives. I had to use wonton wrappers because that’s all I could find – the only ones that tore were the ones that hit the floor when someone cute was spinning in the kitchen and knocked over the whole tray, so their thinness wasn’t too much of an issue. Thank you so much for another delicious recipe! Are there any meat potsticker recipes you use?
deb – the rachel eats recipe looks amazing!!! i’ll have to try this out immediately, thanks for the tip :)
These look delicious, dumpling wrappers are not easy to find around here but I might have a go at making them myself, I love potstickers.
Mmmm these were delicious. Made them with asparagus and freshly shelled peas this week. Bf and I gobbled half of them up immediately, but I managed to freeze a few :) I used my immersion blender to mush the filling up a little bit (left lots of pieces whole, as you suggest) and it really helped them to stay together.
The girlfriend and I made these last week, and froze the un-cooked leftovers. She had a work dinner tonight, and I was left to fend for myself. In the morning, I asked her if she would mind if I had the rest. *pause, glare* “Would I still love you if you ate them?” So tonight I’m making hummus…
Made these last night with a friend. They were delicious exactly as is (except I added a little more garlic, so almost exactly as is). Definitely more fun making them with two children to shuck the peas and favas and a friend to help do everything else. I do have a question about cooking frozen ones: Do I really just throw a solidly frozen dumpling on the pan and cook for longer, or would it be better to defrost them a little before cooking them? They’re like tiny little rocks now that they’re frozen solid.
Anita — Yes, you can put them in the pan frozen. They’re small and defrost/cook quickly, only a few minutes extra cooking time will be needed for it to sear and steam.
Made these last night and couldn’t have loved them more!
My biggest question is how many is too many for one person to eat? I honestly think I could’ve eaten 30, although would’ve been way too full after. They were just so delicious! I did add a little drizzle of honey to my dipping sauce, and thought it was just perfect!
Ok now I am sad. My husband and I finished the entire batch as part of 3 dinners. We were fighting over the last one. The dipping sauce is to die for and I used chives a little red chili oil and brown sugar. I cannot wait to make these again.
These look amazing! I made a herd of wontons recently and the fleet of potstickers seem very similar. http://mostlyvegankitchen.com/2013/05/07/wontons-in-ginger-broth-with-roasted-broccoli-and-edamame/
Those are some delicious-looking dumplings! And yes, they would be excellent with ice-cold beer. :)
love it 2!!
I think these would go nicely served (as a side) with a huge bowl of Pho. Good to be catching up with SK this week.
Ash,
The Board and Wire
My roommate and I made these last night- absolutely delicious! Unfortunately Whole Foods was out of fava beans, so I used asparagus and peas. Also subbed in tempeh instead of tofu because I had some I needed to use up. So wonderful!
Congratulations! These dumplings look amazing. I will gladly share this recipe with the members on my membership site, the pH Diet Community – http://bit.ly/170Rpja. This site will be launched on the 20th May. Thank you for the inspiration.
Wonderful! And you made them on my birthday!
Thanks!
:-)
We made these tonight. Substituting edamame for favas and eggroll wrappers cut into circles since there is no asian grocery within 50 miles. And they worked just fine!! In fact they were delicious!!! Warning——– they took us aprox 1 1/2 hours to make them. Were they worth it! Yes indeedy!!!
I have to make these! Love potstickers!
These were delicious! We didn’t have dumpling wrappers in our neck of the woods, so we made do with wonton wrappers and a biscuit cutter to round the edges. But they still turned out insanely delicious. We also kept the veggies and tofu a little chunky so you could see bits of corn and asparagus peering through the translucent pocket. We ate them (and nothing else) for dinner so we really chowed down, but I can’t wait to have company over and bring the rest out of the freezer for appetizers!
I made these today and they came out great! Used edamame for the fava/pea component and snuck in a little tarragon with the chives, otherwise followed it. Really great recipe–thanks!
So impressed by the people who made their own dumpling skins. I have had the homemade version once at a friend’s and it was wonderful–possibly worth the extra fuss for a special occasion. Will try that next time.
These are so so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
I couldn’t agree more on your view of dumplings! They’re absolutely the best little appetizers anyone could dream of. Pockets of your favorite vegetables wrapped in a delicious crispy floury pocket thing accompanied by a dip that complements the ingredients inside!
Love the way you spread out the dumplings in the pan too. Picture perfect!
love, love, love! What a great way to use ramps.
Awesome! Tried these tonight with edmame, carrots, cabbage and broccoli filling. I made them as spring rolls too with a rice paper wrapper. You are an inspiration!
Love it. Your dumplings looks absolutely delicious, I was almost going to eat my laptop screen. ^^
I lived in SW China for 6+ years and dumplings were a staple of our celebrations… I made these last night, they were amazing. Well done smitten!
I love the idea of tofu to hold the veg together. I use slightly overcooked brown rice. I’ll have to slide the tofu in without my guys’ noticing, but I think they’d like it. I like to include a few minced radishes; they add crunch (even when cooked) and a little heat. I also use a stick blender–a few whirls with the blender is just enough to hold the filling together without turning it into a puree.
200 comments? Wow, I doubt you’ll ever get to reading mine, but if you love potstickers (aka jiaozi), try the steamed variety (aka baozi), they are divine! And this is really what your Korean Mantu were intended for:) Here’s a video showing how to fold the baozi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FYCE5DHH4) and here’s one showing how to prepare the dough, assemble and cook (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwUlgrAYm0). Really, you can just cook them on lettuce leaves in a colander inside a big stock pot. No need for special baskets. Traditionally baozi are stuffed with barbecue pork, but there are thousands of stuffings and they are so festive looking, you just have to try them. And since you’ve got the “pretty folding” part down, this should be a snap!
Made these last night and they were DEE-licious. I love that I can trust all of your recipes – they always work, every time. I changed the veggies up a bit: asparagus, snow peas, leeks and scallions. They were the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of udon soup. I live in Seattle – we’re still in soup season!
i finally got around to making these, and they were absolutely delicious. we steamed the pot stickers before browning as well, leaving a fabulous crunch at the end. we also used roasted sesame oil which was stupendous, adding a lovely nutty flavor. thanks for the recipe!
I made these a couple of weeks ago, and I ended up with enough left over to freeze them for another meal. I cooked the leftovers today for lunch, and they were even better than they were fresh! The extra time that they had for the flavors to meld might have helped? In any case, they made for a delicious, healthy meal that was ready ten minutes after I decided I wanted dumplings!
that looks so delicious! I am definitely going to make some of these this week! xx
Wow these look amazing!!
Two questions – do you think it would be ok if I made the filling one night, and then stuffed and cooked the potstickers the next day? I get home really late and I’m not sure I could make it through the whole recipe in one day!
Also – does freezing the potstickers affect the texture of the filling? I feel like freezing would make the filling less crispy…but maybe not (or maybe they’re even better that way!)
Kassandra — It does make the filling less crispy but it never bothered us — the change wasn’t significant. Yes, I think you could do them over two days.
I love pot-stickers but the assembly does process does encourage me to got out for them and not make them myself!
Grande!
Just wanted you to know that I take your Kale with dried Cherries and Radishes salad EVERYWHERE to rave reviews and tons of requests for the recipe. I received the cookbook as a gift and have given it also subsequently. Love your blog.
i just made these, and it was life changing. i am so devoted to dumplings my friends and i have an annual “dumpling day” where we trek to each of our favorite dumpling spots in NYC (on a side note, deb, you would like the veggie dumplings at mandoo bar). but this year i might save us all the cab fare and have dumpling day in my apartment because these ARE AMAZING. my freezer is now full of them. i never thought i could make dumplings this good…and they’re healthy…and it was easy. mind. blown.
I’ve been reading this blog obsessively since I wanted a simple-ish raised waffle recipe a few weeks ago (ended up not making them, but I really want to now). You seem to like dumplings at lot; have you tried manti? I had it in Turkey when I was there with my family years 11 years ago, and we’re been trying to re-create the recipe ever since. What we had were like small, meat (and other stuff)-filled ravioli with a yogurt sauce and sumac on top, and absolutely delicious. My parents and I have yet to find a recipe that replicates the not-too-heavy but very flavorful deliciousness of the Anatolian recipe.
This looks delicious! I just bought your cookbook and I really enjoy it. One little Chinese trick in cooking potstickers is- when you add the water to the skiillet (after cooking the potstickers in oil for a minute), don’t just use plain water. Use water that you’ve mixed a little bit corn starch in. This will give you a crispy layer on the bottom!
Jocelyn — Thank you! I had wondered. ;)
We just made these with spring roll wrappers because it was what we had. Great flavor and a nice no-cook meal for a warm evening! Someday we’ll potsticker it up!
I have been craving mundu for a while now, the craving subsided but you successfully managed to revive it with this amazing post! it is hard to find dumpling wrappers where I live, and the flavor of the ones in the restaurants never seize to disappoint me.. I think I have to yield and make my own …
We just made these for company and they loved them (and so did we!). They were delicious and so easy! We used peas, fava beans, grated carrots and collard greens for the veggies and it worked wonderfully. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing a vegetarian potsticker recipe! They are formed so beautifully, I’m jealous! :)
Just wanted to mention that although an earlier comment mentioned Koreans using meat in the filling, there are a lot of vegetarian Koreans like my mom who are happy making delicious vegetarian potstickers or mandu.
Also, my mom and I have recently been trying out non-traditional veggies like asparagus in traditional Korean dishes… so I’m really excited to try out this recipe!
These look UHMAZAING! Will definitely make these soon… Even if they’re for spring haha!
Made these tonight and they were delicious! Cooked a few and then froze the rest of the batch. Can’t wait to come home to my own “take-out” from the freezer.
I just made these a second time, they are great! Easy and quicker to put together than you’d think. This second time I didn’t make the sauce, just with soy sauce drizzled over the top. I also froze the extra filling I had and it worked out great the second time.
Marvelous recipe! Can’t believe how cheap asparagus are this year! Please tell me about the pretty patterned plates (say that 3x fast) at the start of this post.
Hi Elle — Glad you liked it. The plate is… not really available. It’s an outtake from our dish set, which is discontinued. The brand is Calvin Klein. The line is Cargo. And I think you can still get this plate from Replacements.com, though expensively. (See: Accent Salad Plate.)
I just stumbled across these and they are absolutely gorgeous! Not to mention, they look amazingly delicious.
I made these potstickers last night for company. They turned out incredible and really impressed. The spring vegetables were fresh and delicious. The process of assembly seemed slightly intimidating when I first began, but I soon got the hang of it (although they didn’t turn out quite as pretty as yours). Thanks for this great recipe which I will definitely be using again!
My local grocery store only had rectangular wonton wrappers and I had serious difficulty folding these into little dumpings, so I followed the instructions below and folded them into little wontons! I used fresh asparagus, frozen peas, tofu, and some broccoli/carrot slaw (fridge cleanout!) for the filling. They tasted great in a wonton soup loosely inspired by the recipe accompanying the wonton folding tutorial.
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-fold-wonton-dumplings-224506
I am going to make the filling for these tonight and assemble/cook tomorrow for an ‘Asian’ style feast. I am very excited! Thanks for a recipe that makes a food which seems really intimidating to make at home totally accessible!
What a beautiful recipe! Any experience with reheating them after they’ve been cooked? I want to bring them to a potluck but I wouldn’t be able to cook them there.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful dish!
i made these and they changed my life. except i used mushrooms, carrots and napa cabbage. seriously so amazing! thanks so much deb!!!!!
Love this idea!
Thanks Deb for another awesome recipe! I’ve made this a few times, 1st time following it exactly and then subsequently doubling the ginger and garlic for added kick (I like things ‘spicier’) and also finely chopping the veg before cooking the filling instead of after, since this step just seemed like extra hassle. Company is always so impressed by these little guys!
I see this was posted in 2013. Your site is really nice. I like this recipe in particular for several reasons: 1) the flexibility in the recipe, 2) the clarity in the recipe of this fact as well as the assembly and cooking of the potstickers (this helps a lot) and the main reason I am writing…3) the little plate on which you assemble the potstickers is lovely. Do you happen to remember where you purchased them? Or is it too long ago and the plates are no longer available? Thanks for taking the time to read my reply and to respond if possible .
Oh if I had read the comments I’d see that the plate is unavailable.
I’m curious about freezing these- do you thaw before frying? Sometimes thawed ones get very doughy and sticky thanks!
I do not defrost them first.
do you ever make shrimp or pork? we are ob.sessed. BUT our pork ones never are the right consistency. so, looking for tips if u got any! we end up with saggy, draggy dumpling skin and shiveled up pork inside. sad. the shrimp we have down. will def try your veg ones here!
Big Smitten Kitchen fan and had a great time making these, but they seemed to be lacking in salt? I salted the mixture before putting the filling into the dumplings (and the filling had a good salt level at that point) but by the time I cooked them it tasted like I hadn’t added any at all…any thoughts?
You can amp up the salt (or soy) in the dipping sauce to compensate, if that helps. Spring vegetables can tilt sweet, so it might just need a more aggressive hand next time.
Deb, I’m pondering something and wondered if you might find it intriguing too. What would stop us converting delicious meatball recipes into dumplings/potstickers, and vice versa? I realise that a vegetarian recipe is perhaps not the best place to discuss meatballs, but hey… I was making satay pork meatballs the other day and thought “surely if you just remove the breadcrumbs, couldn’t you put this mix into dumpling wrappers? Would it work? And couldn’t we also adapt delicious Asian dumpling mixes to become amazing tiny meatballs?” Different flavours into different forms. And thus started the pondering. If you feel like taking up the challenge, feel free!
I made these using the Andrea Nguyen recipe for fresh dough linked, with a few shitaki mushrooms and Chinese chives in the filling (not sure if the latter are the same as garlic chives, but they are delicious). It was surprising how easy and fun to roll out and pleat the fresh dough, and how quickly the filled dumplings browned in the pan. I’ll need to work on the actual cooking technique, since my dumplings ended up getting more fry than steam, and were more crisp-hard than crisp-tender. All in all, this Nguyen-Perlman collaboration was a great success, and I will make again!
Hey Deb! I’ve made potstickers using your general instructions and wonton wrappers (unfortunately, I live in Salt Lake City, where premade dumpling wrappers are tough to find). They work well fresh, but every time I’ve tried to cook them from frozen I’ve had issues. Basically, they almost always fall apart or break once I add the water to steam them. I’m not over stuffing them- I know that would be an issue, so I’m careful. Do you have any ideas? I dream of weeknight dumplings, but alas! They elude me, for now.
I wonder if it’s the wrappers? You could try the reverse method — steaming first and then letting them sizzle some oil (add oil and water at same time, only the water will cook off) but it might be even riskier for tearing.
While In China for my son’s wedding to a lovely Chinese lady I was lucky enough to be included in the making of potstickers. It was a production line and I was drafted to help fold the potstickers. I was corrected from folding as you did. Apparently the ends should be tucked in before pinching across. This was all done by sign language since the bride (our translator) was off somewhere and Mom, her sister, and the maid had no English and I had no Chinese. Yours actually look neater than ours did. So carry on. We were making so many I thought it might be for the reception until we were served them for lunch.
These are absolutely delicious! Thanks again for (yet another) amazing recipe. My daughter and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table and assembled these; not only did we enjoy spending time together, we were rewarded with a delicious, springy potsticker when we were done.
Your writing is the thing that drew me to Smitten Kitchen, and the recipes keep me coming back.
Are they enough for a meal?
We find that they are — I’d say 6-8 per person — but it’s not a very heavy meal.
I … LOVE… THIS … RECIPE. Thank you for posting this. I love healthy Asian recipes like this. It’s like – why go out when you can make pot stickers like this. And they freeze perfectly, so we loaded up the freezer with quick vegetarian pot stickers for quick meals (but not vacuum packed – that didn’t work). My favorite thing was the use of crunchy spring veggies, like asparagus and fava beans. And the photos were very instructive. I know it is an extra effort to include so many photos, but it really helps. Thanks so much.
https://tonyfitzgeraldphotography.com/