Vegetarian Filling for Dumplings

This vegetarian dumpling was the one I served during Guest Chef Night at FareStart when I was one of three food bloggers featured. (Normally, the guest chefs are from restaurants.) The composition of the filling is flexible. On this day, I happened to have leeks to mix with the yu-choy, carrots, shiitakes and tofu. You can substitute vegetables according to your taste.

VEGETARIAN POTSTICKER FILLING

This is a stir fry that can be used as a filling for potstickers or it can be served as a dish with rice. Feel free to spice it up by adding a spoonful of your favorite chili sauce.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced leek, or 2 stalks finely chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed with a garlic press
1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup five-spice pressed tofu, cut into small dice (see Note)
4 cups chopped yu-choy (or baby bok choy, Chinese cabbage or hearty greens of choice)
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra to taste
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. (Alternatively, you can make this in a large saute pan.)
2. Add the leeks (or green onions) and garlic, and stir fry (use a spatula to stir, scoop and flip the ingredients) for about 20 seconds. Do so quickly to keep the garlic from burning. Resist the urge to turn down the heat. Just move quickly through the next steps.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir fry again continuously to keep the ingredients from burning, but also to help everything release their moisture. Do this for 10-15 seconds.
4. Add the greens, carrots and tofu (if using). Repeat the scooping and flipping again for a few seconds to combine all the ingredients.
5. Add the water and soy sauce. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, or until the greens have cooked down and the tofu has heated through.
6. Drizzle with sesame oil. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat.
7. Taste the vegetables. If it feels like you need to adjust for seasoning, you can add a splash of soy sauce or you can add a pinch of salt to taste. Because soy sauces differ in saltiness, you may have to adjust as needed.
8. Set aside to cool to room temperature before using in potstickers. As a filling, it will be too "saucy" so you will have to strain it. But as a stir fry over rice, you will need the sauce.

Note: When you buy tofu at an Asian market, you will find the a range of options (e.g. silken, soft, medium-firm, firm, extra-firm). You also will find the five-spice "dry" tofu, which is a pressed tofu. In Chinese, it's call dofu gan. Gan = dry. But the term gan is more about it being pressed versus dry-tasting. It's brown on the outside and the pieces are usually square and a half-inch or so thick. Different brands vary slightly in flavor, but get the one that's available to you.

Related content: If you need a reminder on how to make potsticker dough and how to pinch them, there's a recipe and video at this link: Potsticker Recipe