Vegetable Gyoza

Gyoza Filling:--
170 g extra firm tofu
70 g king oyster mushrooms
30 g shiitake mushrooms
50 g red cabbage
70 g cabbage
1 tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER
30 g carrot
42 g onion
1 spring onion
½ knob ginger
½ clove garlic
1 tbsp cornflour
Gyoza Filling Seasonings:--
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp miso, awase or red miso as they have a bolder flavour
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp SIDS SALT & PEPPER
Gyoza:--
40 gyoza wrappers
water (to dip and seal wrappers)
Frying Gyoza (per Batch):--
½ tbsp rice bran oil
40 ml water
½ tsp sesame oil (roasted)
Dipping Sauce:--
½ tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp soy sauce

To Drain the Tofu:
Wrap the tofu with a paper towel and place it on a tray/plate. Put another tray/plate on top of the tofu and press the tofu down with a heavy object or two, for roughly 30 minutes to 1 hour (I pressed for 2 hours this time; 400 g before pressing, 355 g after pressed). If you’re in a hurry, you can alternatively microwave (without plastic wrap) for 1.5 minutes (W1000) and drain the water.
To Make the Seasonings:
In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp miso and ⅛ tsp white pepper.
Whisk all together and set aside.
To Make the Gyoza Filling:
Discard the tough core of cabbage leaves and cut into julienned pieces. Mince the julienned cabbage into small pieces. Depending on your gyoza wrappers, it’s easier to tuck in smaller pieces in the wrapper than chunkier pieces.
Repeat the same for red cabbage. Discard the tough core of cabbage leaves and cut into julienned pieces.
Put the minced cabbage in a bowl and add salt. Rub the cabbage with your hands and set aside until it releases water.
Cut the carrot into slabs, then sticks, and mince them.
Mince the onion into small pieces.
Cut the spring onions into white and green parts. Save the green part for garnish later and chop the white parts into small pieces.
Discard the bottom/end of king oyster mushrooms, cut them into sticks, then mince them.
Discard the stem of shiitake mushrooms, cut them into strips, then mince them.
In a large bowl, add the onion, mushrooms, carrots, and spring onions then add the minced garlic. (I use my garlic press here)
Peel and grate the ginger. Add 1 tsp of grated ginger (and juice if there is any).
Squeeze the liquid out of the cabbage and add to the bowl with all the ingredients.
Remove the paper towel and slice the tofu into thin slabs, roughly 3 mm thickness (pencil size) then cut the tofu slabs into sticks then cubes.
Add the tofu cubes and the Gyoza Filling Seasoning mixture into the bowl and mix all together. Once the ingredients are coated with the seasonings, add cornflour. Mix and see if they are still “watery”. You may need to add more cornflour if necessary.
To Fold Gyoza:
Prepare a tray or plate with baking paper and sprinkle on some cornflour. This will prevent the gyoza from sticking to the paper.
Take a wrapper and place it in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Use a teaspoon to scoop a small amount of filling and put it in the centre of the wrapper. Dip one finger in a bowl of water and draw a circle around the outer 6 mm of the wrapper with your wet finger until it’s wet all around.
Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and pinch it in the centre with your fingers (but don’t seal yet!). Using your thumb and index finger, start making a pleat about once every 6 mm on the top part of the wrapper from the centre toward the right.
As you fold each pleat, press the folded pleat tightly against the back part of the wrapper using your other thumb and index finger. Make 3-4 pleats. Continue with the left side of the gyoza. Start making a pleat from the centre to the left.
Press the pleats tightly (make sure no air pockets!) and shape the gyoza to look pretty.
To Store Gyoza:
Before the filling starts to release moisture to the wrappers, cover the gyoza with plastic wrap and “flash freeze” them in the freezer until solid (at least outside is frozen). Make sure to layout the gyoza flat. Once the gyoza is solid, pack them in an airtight bag. Because you flash freeze them, gyoza won’t stick to each other in the bag. You can store gyoza for up to a month. When you use frozen gyoza, do not defrost. Cook while frozen and steam for extra 1-2 minutes.
To Cook Gyoza:
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the gyoza in a single layer, flat side down (in two rows or in a circular shape).
Cook until the bottoms of the gyoza turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan.
Immediately cover with a lid and steam the gyoza for about 3 minutes until most of the water evaporates.
Remove the lid to evaporate any remaining water. Add 1 tsp sesame oil around the frying pan.
Cook uncovered until the gyoza is nice and crisp on the bottom. Transfer to a plate and serve with dipping sauce.
For the Dipping Sauce:
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small plate and mix it all together.
Cut the green parts of the spring onion and garnish.
Inspired by Namiko Chen