Potstickers are a type of moon-shaped dumplings, typically filled with pork and vegetables, pan fried on one side and then steamed. For a vegetarian option, try this easy-to-follow recipe for homemade potstickers with red cabbage, mushrooms, ginger and garlic.
When I lived in London, I had the opportunity to eat out often and explore different cuisines each time. I tasted authentic Chinese dishes in Chinatown’s best restaurants, and I became a fan of dim sum. One of the dishes I would always order is dumplings, or potstickers. Sometimes, I would buy ready-made dumpling “wrappers” in Chinese supermarkets and make veggie potstickers at home. I had never, however, made them whole things from scratch, including the dough. Until this week. As it turns out, potstickers are surprisingly easy to make!
Making potstickers requires time and effort, but it is not hard. And it is totally worth it! And of course it goes without saying that homemade potstickers are infinitely better, tastier and healthier than store-bought frozen dumplings! Definitely worth investing the time to make them at home.
If you don’t live near good Chinese restaurants, but are really craving these delicious, juicy dumplings, give this recipe a go!
Potstickers are traditionally filled with ground pork meat and cabbage, but you can be creative and swap the meat with shrimps and change the veggies. Pak choy, kale, shiitake mushrooms, shredded carrots, shallots are all great alternatives.
I started by making the dumpling dough with plain flour, boiling water and a pinch of salt. While the dough is resting for 30 minutes, you can prepare the filling. I cooked the vegetables first with a little sesame oil and soy sauce, garlic, spring onions and grated ginger. I sprinkled some sesame seeds in there too. Then comes the fun part of shaping the potstickers in medium-sized half-moons. You’ll find many different pleating techniques for folding the dumplings, I used the the one by Eat Little Bird.
Finally, it is time to cook your homemade vegetable potstickers! They are first pan-fried for a few minutes in a non-stick pan. Wait for the bottom to crisp up beautifully on the outside, then add some water to the pan and close with a tight fitting lid. This is called “steam-fry method”. The potstickers will get steamed and cooked throughout, while remaining soft and juicy inside.
This isn’t a recipe for a quick week-day dinner, but it’s definitely a great one to prepare during the weekend. It can be a fun activity to make with your partner, or friends, or kids.
You could also double the doses and prepare a larger batch to refrigerate or freeze, for any time you need a quick meal to prepare in just 10 minutes! You can store these vegetable potstickers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (2 days if you are using pork in the filling) or in the freezer for 3 months.
Potstickers are always served with a dipping sauce, can range from savoury to sweet, nutty to soy-based. Of course, you can choose to make the sauce, but I recommend pairing your vegetable potstickers with Chilli No. 5 Sriracha Cha-Cha-Cha hot sauce.
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I paired my homemade vegetable potstickers with Chilli No. 5 Sriracha Cha-Cha-Cha, a modern-day interpretation of a classic Sriracha sauce, designed to be not only an incredibly tasty chilli sauce, but a healthy one too.
Found in kitchens and on dinner tables across the globe, sriracha is a stable in my kitchen pantry. Sriracha is not just for dumplings or stir-fry dishes; we love adding it to cheese toasties or poached eggs and avocado.
What I love about Chilli No. 5 sriracha is that it is packed with flavours: tangy-sweet, slightly peppery and sour, with a pungent aroma, and fiery! It is one of Chilli No. 5 hottest chilli sauces, so for me a tiny drop goes a long way, while my husband generously dipped the dumplings in it.
In my opinion, Chilli No. 5 Sriracha Cha-Cha-Cha is the best accompaniment to these homemade potstickers, but if this is too spicy for you, then I recommend Chilli No. 5 Chinese Hot & Sour sauce. This is a delicious, syrupy sweet hot sauce packed with roasted tomatoes, red peppers, onions, Szechuan peppers, rice vinegar and caramelised pineapples. Perfect for adding to a wide variety of Asian-inspired cuisines.
Red Cabbage and Mushroom Potsticker Recipe
Ingredients
Makes around 30 potstickers of 9 cm diameter
For the potsticker wrappers
- 250g plain flour
- 130-135 ml boiling water
- pinch of salt
For the filling
- 200g red cabbage
- 200g mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 spring onions, chopped finely
- 2 cm fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1-2 tsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- handful of sesame seeds
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- 200 ml water (for steaming)
Preparation
Place flour and a pinch of salt in a stand mixer with dough hook attachment. Slowly pour in boiling hot water. Mix a medium/high speed for about 6-8 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If dough seems too sticky, sprinkle with a bit more flour. Divide the dough into 2 equal balls and wrap tightly in cling film. Let it rest on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes.
Prepare the vegetable filling. Boil the red cabbage leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes to soften them, then chop in thin strips. In a large frying pan, cook the mushrooms with the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, spring onion. Add the cabbage and cook until all the ingredients are soft. Take off the heat, add soy sauce and stir well.
After the dough has rested, roll one ball into a small log, about 3/4 inch thick. Divide the log into small pieces of about 15 grams each. Roll each piece into a thin circle on a lightly floured surface to form the potsticker wrappers. Use a cookie cutter to cut out a perfect circle shape. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Place the wrappers on a baking tray with parchment paper and covered with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out.
To fill the potstickers, lightly moisten the edges of a wrapper with your wet finger. Place a small scoop of the vegetable filling onto the center of a wrapper. Fold up the 2 sides and pinch together one side, then gently pinch together the remaining edges until the opposite side of the crescent, forming “pleats” along one side. Tap the pot sticker on the work surface to slightly flatten the bottom; form a slight curve in it so it stands upright in the pan. Transfer to a well-floured plate, cover with damp paper towels/cloth. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Heat up a little vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and gently place the dumplings in it (flat side facing down). The potstickers should comfortably fit without touching, Cook on a medium/high heat until the bottom of the potstickers is crispy and golden (approx. 2-3 minutes). Add around 100 ml of water to the pan so that the dumplings are half submerged. Place a tight-fitting lid on top of the pan and leave on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated and the potstickers have a nice crispy exterior and a juicy interior.
Transfer the potstickers to a baking tray lined with paper towel. Repeat until all potstickers are cooked, then serve immediately with Chilli No. 5 hot sauce.
Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post written in collaboration with Chilli No. 5. All opinions are my own.
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