Pot Stickers
February 7th, 2008
Stumble it!
I can’t tell you how pleased I am with these. I had NO idea how easy it was to make pot stickers. And not just any pot stickers, but the best pot stickers I’ve ever had. The filling I chose is a spicy ground setian mushroom mix, with fresh ginger and chilies. The possibility for fillings are endless, though, so feel free to play around and stuff these puppies with your idea of a good time. Cabbage and carrots? Go for it. Chinese five spice tofu? Yum. Tempeh with cilantro and mint? Yes please.
See what I mean? If you can dream it up, you can put it in a pot sticker once you know the basics.
I made my own seitan for this, and if that makes you nervous, relax. You can use store-bought seitan, but making your own baked seitan is really, really easy. It takes a little bit of forethought (it bakes for about an hour and a half), but if you’ve got the time it’s super easy to prepare. The recipe I used was inspired by the Seitan O’ Greatness, but mine is more mildly seasoned so I can flavor it up for the pot sticker filling.
You’ll also need to find the right wrappers. My favorite are Japanese Gyoza wrappers. They’re easy to work with and easy to find. They’re sometimes sold in standard grocery stores, but you’re pretty much guaranteed to find them at any well-stocked asian grocer. The ones sold in my neck of the woods are egg free, but it’d be wise to read the label to verify before you pick them up.
Pot stickers need not stick to your pot. This is the perfect dish for your non-stick skillet. In a regular omlet-sized pan (10-12 inches) you can fit 8-10 pot stickers. They won’t even pretend to stick. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, I recommend a well-seasoned cast-iron pan. Either way, choose something with a lid.
Easy Baked Seitan
Makes approximately 4 Cups
1 1/2 Cup Vital Wheat Gluten
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Cup Water
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbs Tamari or Soy Sauce
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Mix the dry ingredients together until well combined. Mix the wet ingredients together. Add wet to dry and knead the dough for a few minutes. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes, then form the dough into a log. Roll the log up in aluminum foil, pinching in the ends. Bake for 80-90 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Mushroom Seitan Filling
Makes enough for approx. 24 Pot Stickers
2 Cups of Chopped Seitan (roughly half the log)
10-15 Cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 Tbs Oil
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1-3 tsp Fresh Ginger, minced
2 Hot Green Chilies, deseeded and minced
1 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
2 Tbs Water mixed with 1 Tbs cornstarch
Roughly chop the seitan and add it to your food processor. Process until it’s ground uniformly, it should look like breadcrumbs. Remove the ground seitan to a large bowl. Process the mushrooms in the same way. Heat the oil in a skillet, adding the garlic, ginger and chilies. Fry for a few minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden (don’t burn it), then add the mushrooms. Saute until softened, then add the ground seitan. Stir in the soy sauce and vinegar and taste. Season if necessary. Turn off the heat, and once the pan has cooled a bit, add in the water/cornstarch mixture and stir well. This will help the filling stick together. Let the filling cool a bit before you get going.
Now we’re ready to make some pot stickers!
Place one of your wrappers in front of you. Place 1 packed tablespoon of filling in the center. Wet the edges of the wrapper. I keep a little bowl of water next to me for this. Keep your stack of wrappers covered with plastic wrap while you’re working so they don’t try out.
Gently fold it in half.
Begin to press and seal the edges, forcing out as much of the air as you can.
If desired, crimp the edges. This makes sure they’re sealed tight, and it looks pretty, too.
Once you get the hang of it, start filling more than one at the time. Here I’m making two at a time, but I actually find it easiest to make four at a time.
Arrange them in your non-stick pan that has been lightly coated with oil. Place them over medium high heat and cook until the bottoms are browned and crispy. If you want a really golden bottom, add a drizzle of oil to the pan (but this is optional). You can lift them up to check on them as they’re cooking, as the photo above shows.
Once they’re as brown as you’d like, add 3/4 cup of hot water to the pan and cover immediately with a lid. Turn the heat up to high.
Set the timer for 7 minutes. Then give a peak. You want most or all of the water to be evaporated. If there’s still some water in the pan after 7 minutes, remove the lid cook until the pan is dried out and the bottoms have re-crisped. If desired, you can mist them with water or oil if they seem to be drying out.
Once they’re crispy again, slide them out of the pan:
Ideally, you want the non-brown sides to look like they’ve been shrink-wrapped. If you didn’t get all the air out while you were filling them, an air pocket might have developed. While this isn’t a tragedy, the ones that don’t have this pocket will be easier to eat (the filling won’t fall out as easy). Here’s a comparison of one with an air pocket, and one “perfect” one:
Not that big of a difference, but pot sticker experts would prefer the one on the right.
Want to see what the inside looks like?
They’re really delicious. The wrapper is soft and chewy, the bottom crispy-crunchy, the filling hot and savory… the mushrooms add a nice depth but don’t overwhelm. They’re just downright tasty.
I like to serve them with a dipping sauce–you can do the standard gyoza sauce, which is soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar. I also like tonkatsu sauce, which is a thick Japanese steak sauce made from fruits and veggies. It’s sort of sweet, so I think it balances well with the salty filling.
I also served these with some sauteed Chinese broccoli, but any green would work. I tossed them around in a hot wok with some oil until wilted, then added a splash of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, and some sesame seeds on top. It’s the perfect accompaniment.
Really, they’re better than take-out.
Entry Filed under: appetizers, recipe
42 Comments Add your own
1. jd | February 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Wow - talk about detailed! This post is amazing!
When I was scrolling down kinda quickly, it actually looked like you were folding the pot sticker right before my eyes! It was just like one of those flippy books with the stick figures in the bottom…
Anyway, thanks for yet another inspiring post. I’ve been wanting to try pot stickers for a long time. Now I’ll have to!
2. Suganya | February 7th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I make mine with just shredded vegetables. It takes longer to assemble than to eat. Light, tasty and crunchy, these are.
3. Michelle Dawn | February 7th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I think I’m in LOVE. Thanks
4. elisabeth | February 7th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
It’s weird today how I was talking to a friend of mine how hard it is to find good frozen ready to eat vegetable dumplings….and unsure how to make them….and here you go.
Here in NYC, one of my favorite places to get such veggie dumpling is no longer a favorite because the quality slipped significantly when new owners came it. I still dream of these plump dumplings…filled with tiny bits of cabbage, carrots, tofu, and I am not sure what else. Perhaps I should not be afraid….
Even though I am NOT a vegan, I love your blog and am inspired by your love of all things vegetable.
Hope you find another publisher soon….for I was really interested in your string bean recipe that you teased us all with on these blog pages.
5. Sara | February 7th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I am making these right this very minute for a potluck tomorrow! I’m ridiculously excited, and I hope to goodness my seitan turns out edible.
Your blog is so very inspiring.
Thank you for all the wonderful detailed posts and yummy recipes!
6. Sandy | February 7th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
mmm. pot sticker.
7. Tricia | February 7th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Oh how I love veggie dumplings! I’m going to have to try these. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried to make my own. Thanks for the seitan recipe. I’d love to try that, too. Back in the day, I made a faux turkey from the Now and Zen Epicure complete with the yuba skin. It was my first time making seitan and it was one of those recipes where you need the dough under running water. I had no idea that the dough was supposed to come apart and half of it was supposed to wash down the drain, so I nearly had a nervous breakdown. After hours of work, I couldn’t even it the silly thing, because the “skin” tasted to real, luckily my husband loved it. I don’t think I’ve tried making seitan since.
8. mallory | February 7th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
These look deliciousssssss.
May I ask where you purchased your Gyoza wrappers? I read in your about me section that you are from Boston, and I live in Jamaica Plain!
9. Lolo | February 7th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Mallory, I also live in JP.
I got them at Super 88 at South Bay. They’re in the refrigerated section toward the back of the store. Good luck!
10. selina | February 7th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
pot stickers? yes please!
those look so good.
11. Pip | February 8th, 2008 at 1:40 am
My goodness, these look YUMMY! I’ll have to give them a shot when I’m home from Texas at the weekend.
Also, !!!!!!!!!.
You know what those are for.
12. Lee | February 8th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Wow! These look great. I live in Scotland and here in the UK we hardly see pot stickers in chinese restaurants. The first time I had them was in San Francisco and I’ve been looking for a decent recipe ever since. You make it look so easy so hopefully I will try making them soon
13. Monk | February 8th, 2008 at 9:54 am
I’ve never made seitan, and now I’m absolutely going to try. This recipe looks so easy and super flavorful. I can’t wait!! Thanks soooo much for creating the best vegan food blog ever. You have incredible talent! I am always inspired when I visit your site. Yay for Vegan Yum Yum!!
Have a great weekend!!
14. Rachel | February 8th, 2008 at 10:30 am
These posts are so incredibly useful. You’ve taken the intimidation out of pot-stickers.
15. mallory | February 8th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Terrific! Thanks so much!
JP vegan pride!!!!!
16. Christie | February 8th, 2008 at 11:17 am
My local grocery & health food stores love you. Everytime I read one of your recipes, I feel the need to run out and get the ingredients to make it! Looks like it’s potstickers for dinner tomorrow. (If I can wait that long…)
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes!
17. Alexandra | February 8th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Beautiful website, one of my favorite blogs . . .
I have tried seitan recipes in the past that involved simmering the kneaded product; does the baked version result in a different type of seitan? Is it better suited to crumbling?
Thanks for the inspiration
18. Lolo | February 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Alexandra - Yes, the seitan is different from boiled seitan. It’s dryer and not as rubbery; it’s closer in texture to a hard sausage or salami, but not as fatty–a little bredier. Hope that helps!
19. Sara | February 9th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
So, I did make these for the party I had last night. My seitan turned out really well and these FLEW off the table. It was mixed company (probably 4 veg*ns and 8 non-veg*ns) and of thirty pot stickers, absolutely NONE were left by the time everyone had gotten food.
I also made your sundried tomato and kale hummus which was also a big hit!
Thank you so much for the great recipes.
20. lori- the pleasantly plump vegan | February 9th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
ooOoo, i LOVE pot stickers. yrs look so yummy!
21. anon | February 10th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Your pot stickers look good but they are burnt. You need to turn the heat down to a bit.
22. Mel | February 10th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Great Recipe! I have to try this!
23. Monk | February 11th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I got all of my ingredients together last night and followed your recipe for Easy Seitan exactly, and 85 minutes later, I took what looked like a soggy loaf of bread out of the oven. Where did I go wrong? I looked up Isa Chandra’s recipe for seitan in Veganomicon, and she boils hers. I plan on trying that method, but your recipe looked far easier.
I’m a very good cook, and I just don’t know where I went wrong. I bought Nutritional Yeast for the first time yesterday. Is it possible that I screwed up? It was Twinlab Nutritional Yeast Plus. I looked at the ingredients again last night and Nutritional Yeast is listed as the first ingredient. It’s fortified with a slew of other vitamins and minerals. But I still think this was not the problem.
The texture of the baked setian was very spongy, yellow in color, and the outside of the loaf was somewhat hard. It was like a loaf of bread that had soaked up a soy-sauce-like marinade. I tasted it - good flavor, but totally wrong texture.
Argh! How did I screw up EASY seitan?!!!
Please Help!!!
24. Lolo | February 11th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Oh no, Monk!
The only thing I can think of is that you accidently added too much liquid, or not enough gluten. What was the dough like before you baked it? It should have been moist but definitely not wet or sticky. What brand of vital wheat gluten did you use? Is your oven heating properly?
I double checked the recipe I wrote out and it seems correct, and from the comments there is at least one other person who has made it successfully already; therefore I think there must be something unexpected happening on your end. Let me know if you find out, and I’m sorry it was such a disaster!
25. Monk | February 11th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
All of the dry ingredients were mixed seperately, and all of my wet ingredients were mixed seperately before I combined them together. As soon as I poured the wet into the dry, I noticed that there were some darker patches in the dough. I figured that once I kneeded it, everything would blend properly. The dough did not stick to my hands, nor did it stick to my countertop (where I kneeded it). It was moist, not wet dough. I used the Arrowhead Mills brand of Vital Wheat Gluten.
I’m determined to make this work… I’ll aim for a slightly drier dough and bake it in my newer toaster oven (better heat control). Should I use convection heat? or Regular heat? I really don’t know the difference!!
Thanks for all of your help. I’ll keep you posted!
26. Jenny | February 11th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Wow, those looks AWESOME!
27. Kristine | February 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Well, now that I have drooled all over my keyboard, I will go add wonton wrappers to my grocery list!
mmmm
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
28. Ash | February 11th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Awesome!
This weekend I went for sushi with a bunch of friends and one of them ordered the pan fried dumplings, my absolute favourite from my pre-vegan days. I was so sad as I watched them enjoy their dumplingy goodness.
Low and behold I came home and found your recipe! I went out this morning and bought everything I needed and made them tonight, and they were terrific! I totally agree, they’re much better than the real thing!
29. Shamrock | February 12th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Hi, I like your blog so much, the recipes look very great and your pictures are so beautiful! But I have a little problem, I’m French and here, the measurements are not in “cup” and “tablespoon” or “teaspoon”. Could you just tell me the equivalence in gramme for one cup, one tablespoon and one teaspoon please? Thank you very much by advance!
30. Dana | February 12th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Life is getting exponentially better.
First, I go vegan at the New Year.
Second, I feel fantastic.
Third, I find your website.
Fourth, I build small alter to worship your easy to follow recipes.
Fifth, I find one tiny little Asian supermarket here in Norway (I’m an expat) and they have everything I need for these yummy pot stickers.
All I can say is thank you.
31. thefoodsex | February 12th, 2008 at 9:58 am
these look heavenly. all i have to do now is convince the boyfriend that mushrooms will not, in fact, kill him.
32. Anke | February 13th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Great! I love pot stickers but haven’t had them forever. Now I have instructions on how to make them
33. Avie | February 14th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I made these last night and they were wonderful, easy, delightful & yummy! Thanks for the wonderful vegan recipes.
34. Alexandra from Le Petit Cochon | February 14th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Beautiful! I’m making these this weekend for sure. I love the detail in your posts, it’s incredibly helpful.
35. Erin | February 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Hey–I actually made the seitan over the weekend and had great success. I do think I may have overcooked it and that I should have checked it out at 75 minutes. It was a bit chewy in parts, but I don’t fault the recipe at all.
Just wanted everyone to know since someone had trouble. The recipe is so easy and a total keeper!
36. Zlamushka | February 16th, 2008 at 4:24 am
Simply adorable! Love the brocoli mix, looks just like Japanese seaweed salad.
37. Jamie | February 26th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Love your food shots. Do you do your own photography?
38. BillinDetroit | February 28th, 2008 at 3:13 am
@ Shamrock …. you might find this link (not mine, btw) to be useful for converting between English and Metric units. I came back from Ireland with a couple of cookbooks and had exactly the same problem in reverse. But the decorative kale in my flower bed ended up as creamy colcannon sitting in quart jars on my basement shelf.
My wife can’t get enough of it, either!
Bill
39. VeganYumYum » Wonto&hellip | March 5th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
[…] Look for the white (not yellow) square wrappers. The round ones are gyoza skins, much better for pot stickers; even though they’re similar, they’re a good deal thicker than the wonton skins. Either […]
40. C | March 7th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Dang! All I could find were wonton wrappers and when I put my filling in them they fell apart! But, on the other hand, the ones that turned out were the crispiest, yummiest, best potstickers on the entire planet!
41. spastic vegetarian | March 9th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Oh my goodness! I made your seitan recipe yesterday and it turned out fantastic; better than the stuff they made at a veg restaurant i worked at. Thank you so much.
42. » Vegetarian Challe&hellip | March 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
[…] Pot stickers at VeganYumYum — This woman has TALENT and pairs superb directions with excellent pictures! You should check out her site even if you have no intention of eating vegan, ever. Then again, if you see how good she makes things look and you know that she was featured on Martha Stewart a few weeks ago, maybe you’ll give one of her recipes a try! […]
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