These golden bottom veggie potstickers are the BEST! They have a crispy bottom layer and the filling is super flavorful. I called them ‘golden bottom’ to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year for all the sparkly and fun celebrations!
Golden Bottom Veggie Potstickers Key Ingredients
I’ve made these potstickers using simple and easy-to-get ingredients at the store.
- Eggplant – I love eggplant a lot, it adds an amazing texture to this dish. While I love to use Japanese eggplant in many of my dishes, this recipe works perfectly well with the round one. It has thicker skin and has less moisture which makes it a great addition for texture as well.
- Green Beans – Add some chopped green beans for the crunch. It’s a great way to add more greens to a meal this way, right?
- Mushrooms – To me, this is a must have for the umami, I used crimini mushrooms that won’t release too much liquid when cooked. Other mushrooms such as oyster, enoki, seafood mushrooms, lion’s mane, or king oyster are great substitute. Every mushroom type has different cooking time and some release more liquid than others, so drain out the liquid once cooked if the mixture is too wet once cooked or adjust the binder (flour or cornstarch) accordingly.
- Tofu – I always add tofu as binder but this time, I add it as sautéed crumbled tofu for texture and protein. Simply mash the tofu with your hand onto the pan and stir-fry along with the minced ginger until golden brown.
- Seasoning – A simple mix of salt, sugar, light soy sauce, pepper and a secret ingredient – miso! I really love how complex this flavor combo is. It’s super easy and delicious plus they are the ingredients I have on hand!
- Binder – Once you sautéed all the filling ingredients together, it should be moist with little to no liquid left in the pan. I added about 2 tablespoons of cake flour but you can use cornstarch as the binder as well.
If you like to make your own dumpling wrapper, please check the recipes below:
How to make Golden Bottom Veggie Potstickers
Part 1: Prepare the vegetables
Because the filling uses all vegetables, it’s imperative to cut them into tiny bite-sized pieces for 2 reasons. 1) So, they take less time to cook while retaining the crunch. 2) Smaller pieces make them bind together better which is extremely helpful so you can stuff more into a wrapper without falling out.
Please check the pictures below on how to prepare the vegetables.
Green beans – Gather a few green beans and pile them up. Using a sharp knife, chop them into pieces.
Mushrooms – Clean the mushrooms with a brush or wash then dry with a towel before using. Simply chopped into small pieces.
Eggplant – Slice it into 1cm rounds. Stack a few together, then slice vertical into strips. Turn around and cut in perpendicular to get small cubes like below.
Part 2: Cook the filling
Sauté the ginger until aromatic and slightly crisps up. Mash the tofu with your hands over the pan.
Stir-fry until a thin crust forms on the tofu (it usually starts to brown at this point).
Add the mushrooms, green beans, and eggplant. Toss to combine and cook for a minute or two until the eggplant is tender.
Season with salt, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, and miso. Use the back of the spatula to mash the miso so it can easily blend in with the vegetables. Taste test and season with more salt if needed. Add a drizzle of sesame oil. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Next, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix to combine.
NOTE: My filling was moist with no extra sauce. If yours do (depending on the mushrooms used), you can place a sieve over a bowl and drain the liquid to get a drier filling. A wet filling will tear the wrapper easily.
Part 3: Wrap the dumplings
Set up a dumpling wrapping station: 1) Fill a small bowl with water 2) Dust a large baking pan with flour
Take a dumpling wrapper and moisten the circumference with water. Place a spoonful of filling in the middle, then pleat to seal. NOTE: Be sure to remove as many air bubbles as possible and seal the dumplings tightly.
Place the wrapped dumpling on the baking pan and cover with a towel. Repeat until all the filling is used.
Part 4: Cook the potstickers
Heat a large non-stick pan (I used 10″) over medium heat with 2 teaspoons of oil. Arrange as many dumplings as the pan comfortably fits, slightly apart.
Cook until the dumpling bottom turns golden (you should get a thin crust).
Then, add about ½ cup of water into the pan. The water level should cover a little over the bottom of the dumplings. You may need more water if your pan is larger.
Cover the pan with a lid (preferably glass) with a vent. Cook until the water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
How to check if your dumpling is ready?
- You will hear less sizzling sound towards the end of cooking. This means the water has evaporated.
- The dumpling wrapper turns semi-translucent and you can see through the filling inside.
- The bottom has turn deeply golden
Serve immediately with a side of chili oil or sliced ginger in Chinese black vinegar.
Tips for making potstickers:
- Heat the pan until warm, add the oil (not too much and adjust based on the size of the pan. For my 10″, I used 1-2 teaspoons but I do have a very good non-stick pan).
- Use the spatula or brush to evenly coat the bottom of the pan – If you have a large pan, turn heat to low while you arrange the dumplings in one layer, slightly apart to prevent the first dumpling into the pan from overcooked.
- When ready, turn heat to medium (if you lowered it earlier), pan-fry until the bottom has a crust (light golden)
- Add the water in between the gaps instead of over the dumplings. You only need to add enough water to cover the bottom of the dumplings or slightly above.
- Before you cover the lid, make sure the water is sizzling.
- Cook until the sizzling sound has subsided, then uncover. If there is still water (usually should be leftover oil), then continue to cook until all water has evaporated.
These Golden Bottom Veggie Potstickers are
- Easy to make (used store-bought dumpling wrapper)
- Well-seasoned
- Crispy on the bottom
- Perfect for gatherings
- Great for make-ahead meals (check my potstickers post for storage)
- Easily customizable – feel free to sub with your favorite vegetables
- Allium-free
- TASTY!!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Golden Bottom Veggie Potstickers
Ingredients
- 40-50 dumpling wrappers thawed if frozen
- 1 round eggplant about 1 lb
- 1¼ cup green beans measured before cut
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms
- 7 oz firm tofu drained
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt see notes
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or to taste
- a few dashes of white pepper
- 1 teaspoon miso yellow or white
- sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cake flour or corn starch plus more for dusting
- cooking oil
- water
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Slice eggplant into 1cm thick rounds. Stack a few rounds together and slice into thin strips. Turn the stack around so the line stays horizontally. Cut into cubes and set aside.
- To cut the green beans, pile a few of them into stacks, then chop them into tiny bite-sized pieces. Repeat the same process for mushrooms. Please keep in mind that these vegetables will shrink once cooked but you want a good bite-size piece so you can easily fill them in the wrapper later.
Cook the filling
- Next, heat a large non-stick skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Sauté ginger until slightly golden and aromatic. Mash tofu into crumbles over the pan. Cook the tofu until a thin crust forms or start to dry up.
- Add the mushrooms, green beans, eggplant, and toss to combine. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.
- Season with salt, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, and miso. Stir-fry to combine until the miso has dissolved. You may use the back of the spatula to mash the miso while stir-frying.
- Then, add a drizzle of sesame oil, give it a final toss and turn off the heat. The mixture shouldn't have much moisture left. If you do, use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling into a bowl. Let it cool.
- Add the flour and mix until well-combined.
Wrap the dumplings
- Fill a small bowl with water and dust a large baking pan with flour or cornstarch. Set aside.
- To wrap the dumpling, moisten a wrapper's circumference with water.
- Top with a spoonful of filling and pleat to seal. Place the dumpling on the dusted baking pan and cover it with a cloth to prevent it from drying out.
- Repeat until all the filling is used. You may get 40-50 dumplings depending on how much you fill the dumplings.
Cook the dumplings
- Heat a large non-stick pan (I used 10") over medium heat with 2 teaspoons of oil. Arrange as many dumplings as the pan comfortably fits, with a slight gap.
- Cook until the dumpling bottom gets a thin crust (golden bottom – see video). Add about ½ cup of water to the hot pan. Be careful as it will sizzles.
- Cover with a lid (that has a vent) and cook until all the water has evaporated. When the dumplings are done, they will turn semi-translucent and you should hear minimal sizzling sound. The dumpling bottom will turn deeply golden as well.
- Turn off the heat and transfer to a plate. Serve with a side of chili oil or sliced ginger in Chinese black vinegar.
Video
Notes
- Salty component – There are 3 salty components in this recipe: salt, soy sauce, and miso. Some miso or soy sauce is saltier than others, so please reduce or increase the amount accordingly.
- The water needed depends on the size of the pan and the number of dumplings you put in. The rule of thumb is to add enough water to cover a little over the bottom of the dumpling. For my 10″ pan, I used about 1/2 cup water.
Feel free to pin the below picture on your Pinterest Board for easy reference.
You are amazing. I love your recipes and how you present them. Bravo!
Delicious, as always…