Crunchy Japanese Vegetarian Gyoza
I want to preface this note by saying that I am an avid gyoza lover, and the root of my passion goes all the way back to my childhood in Japan. I grew up eating my mum’s traditional Japanese gyoza (which was to die for) and cooking my own variations with Western ingredients. Working in the Japanese food industry, I have the opportunity to try an array of Japanese gyozas. The exposures to different gyoza recipes taught me how to play with the taste, texture, and colour of the dish as well the maximisation of the dining experience by pairing different ingredients and beverages.
This recipe is one of my absolute favourites. It differs from your average gyoza by giving rise to unique flavours and changes the eating experience texture-wise. Also, it’s almost entirely comprised of vegetables, so it’s quite healthy compared to the classic meat-based gyoza recipe. This specific recipe relies heavily on the power of renkon and edamame to enhance the crunchy texture, so be sure to include those!
The Gyoza Recipe
Gyoza:
Gyoza pastry – 30 sheets (you can usually find this at an Asian grocery store)
Cabbage – 1/4 of a whole cabbage cut (ends up being about 2 cups after chopping)
Shiitake mushroom – 1/2 cup
Edamame – 1/2 cup, without the pods
Renkon – 1/2 cup (aka lotus roots)
Green onion – 1/2 cup
“Medium Hard” tofu – 1/2 cup
Fresh Ginger – 1 tablespoon, grated
Sesame oil – 1 tablespoon
Soy sauce –1 tablespoon
Salt & pepper
Dipping Sauce:
Soy sauce – 2 tablespoon
Rice Vinegar –2 tablespoon
Chili oil (raayu ラー油 ) – optional
Directions:
The Filling
1. Finely cut all the veggies and combine into a bowl with the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and mix well by hand. (Of course, you’re welcome to use a spoon here, but I just think the old-fashioned way is faster).
Wrapping the Filling
2. Fill a small cup or bowl with room temperature water and set aside. The water is used as a ‘glue’ to stick the edges together during step 4-5; to wrap the content with the gyoza pastry.
3. Hold a single sheet of the gyoza pastry in the palm of your hand and place a tablespoon of the veggie mix onto the centre of pastry. The key here is to not overfill.
4. Dip your index finger into the cup of water and trace half the edge of the gyoza pastry.
5. Then, to seal the veggie mix into the flour pastry, create little creases on the side of the flour pastry that is wet, and make the edge touch to the dry side of the pastry as you crease.
Cooking the Gyoza
6. Evenly spread oil on the pan but wait to turn on the heat.
7. Place as many gyozas as it fits onto the pan with the creases facing up. Add enough room temperature water so that it covers the bottom 1/3 of the gyoza. This will help to steam the gyoza and cook the inside filling and soften the pastry.
8. Turn the heat up to high and cover with a lid for how many minutes…? A good indicator for when to lift the lid is to see if there is any water remaining on the surface of the pan. You’re looking for all the water to have evaporated into steam.
9. Keep an eye on the gyoza until the bottom has turned golden brown. Some people like to flip the gyozas over to cook the top, but that’s optional.
Gyoza Sauce
10. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and the chili oil and serve in a small dipping plate.
TIP:
If you end up with extra uncooked gyozas, save them for another day by putting them into a container and freeze them. Just make sure to leave space between every gyoza to prevent the flour pastries from sticking to each other.
The cooking method is exactly the same. There is no need to defrost them. Just simply place frozen gyozas onto the pan and follow the above steps.
The Neut-Pallete Guide
1. Ryusei (龍勢)- Tokubetsu Junmai Sake
If you are over 18 and want to spice up your Thursday night, then my #1 recommendation is to pair this gyoza dish with the Ryusei Tokubetsu Junmai Sake.
Established in 1863, Takehara city was one of the most popular sake destinations in Japan. Ryusei Sake uses the premium “Hattan Nishiki Rice”. The sake is a full -body, rich umami flavour, crispy and well-balanced in acidity, but also has a dry quality.
This particular sake will go incredibly well with your juicy gyoza, grilled fish, or meats.
Personally, I’d recommend you chill this sake before consumption.
The bottle is around $30AUS can be found in bottle-shops like
