Epic kimchi dumplings (regular + meatless recipes)
Please don’t let the list of ingredients scare you! It’s well worth the effort, and you can make shortcuts using tips from the Goodness Basics post.
How dare do I call this “epic”?
It earned an “epic” status, because for a mundane food like dumpling, it carries a complex and satisfying taste & flavor profile, primarily due to kimchi and dried shiitake mushrooms. It’s also labor intensive with a long ingredient list. What’s essential are kimchi, tofu, mushrooms (it’s best if you can include dried shiitake mushrooms), some sort of cruciferous (I like kale, and regular cabbage or cauliflower works), ginger, garlic, and miso or soy.
The recipe is included as appetizer, and we often make it a main meal with 7-9 pieces and side vegetables. I’ve experimented with various ingredients, and here, I’m sharing both the original (with meat) and non-meat versions.
Make ahead, freeze, and adapt for other dishes
Because it’s time consuming, AND a wrapper can hold only tiny amount of filling without bursting, every time I make this, I ended up with the fillings way more than immediately needed. So I often freeze fillings to make dumplings later on or wrap individual finished pieces in parchment paper and freeze them in a tight container.
Or, you can make the fillings into small meat balls and cook with vegetables.
You can eat them as pan fried with a dipping sauce, or after a few minutes in a pan, you can add a few pieces to a soup to finish them up, like this one in a soup with tofu, cauliflowers and tomatoes.
Another great way to use the filling is to make stuffed mushrooms – shiitake works best, but others like cremini works well for tasty and flavorful appetizers.
Little bit about kimchi
Regarding kimchi, I commend you if you are making at home! I tried my hand decades ago by faithfully following recipes shared by my Korean elders. It took an awfully long time, and I nervously presented it to my father. After one bite, he asked me to fetch grandma’s kimchi (my mom did not make kimchi, and my father was a typical old-fashioned Korean man). Sadly, I had to agree with him. I could not put a finger on it, but something crucial was missing. Maybe the way I spread salt initially between layers of nappa cabbage was wrong? Maybe I did not use enough ami (salted krills) in the paste? Many Korean elders have special tricks for their kimchi, and some use oysters, chestnuts, pears, etc. I was confused, frustrated, and gave up!
While I do not necessarily eat/use kimchi all that often, it’s such a powerful flavor bomb, when I need it, it’s essential to get hold of a good quality one.
Since home-made version by elders are not in the card right now, I spent some energy in finding the best alternative for me. My taste buds are not purely Korean, and I prefer less harsh/salty kimchi. Non-home made version likely has some ingredients I do not want (like trace amount of fructose, gum, etc.), but since I don’t consume them in large amounts, I decided it’s acceptable. This “fancy” edition (says it’s less sour, and has jujubes and chestnuts) from a popular Korean brand Jongga found at a Japanese grocery store is a keeper, I think. This one’s likely not found in regular grocery stores, but these days there are plenty available online. Reviews are abound like this one or this one. You may have H Mart or Korean Town in your community. I recommend the ones that list some sort of fruit and salted seafood among the ingredients.
Epic kimchi dumplings – original
Equipment
- Medium size frying pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef can use pork, mix of beef and pork, or chicken
- 7 oz tofu firm or extra firm; about 1/2 of typical package or 200g
- 1 cup kimchi about 150g
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp potato starch "Katakuriko" in Japanese; can use corn starch
- 1 piece egg
- 50 pieces dumpling wrapper often in one package
Cooking shiitake mushrooms
- 6 piece dried shiitake mushroom pre-soaked (see below)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar can use 1 tsp of mirin instead or 1/2 tsp of honey/maple syrup
Cooking kale
- 1 bunch kale 2-3 cups raw; about 1/2 cup cooked
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Aromatics
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 3 clove garlic pressed
- 5 stalks green onion can substitute with regular onion
- 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp miso
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang can substitute with 1/2 tbsp of miso and 1/2 tbsp of chili sauce or red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Dipping sauce (for 12 servings)
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar can use regular vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tbsp kimchi juice or 2 tbsp of chili sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
Instructions
- Prepare dried shiitake mushrooms: slice pre-soaked dried shiitake mushrooms and place in a small pan with the soaking liquid, enough to cover the pieces, and add small amounts of soy sauce/brown sugar (taste and adjust to your preference.) Cook for about 5-10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, and let cool. For details on how to pre-soak dried shiitake mushrooms, see Summer Soba Mélange recipe. Once cool, chop in fine pieces.
- Prepare tofu: drain tofu onto a colander, break into small pieces, and let drain further.
- Prepare kale: wash them thoroughly (twice or three times, depending on what kinds sediments you see in water after the first wash), rip into small pieces (about 3-5 inches), dry very well (spin and towel). Massage small amounts of soy sauce/sesame oil into the pieces, spread them on a sheet pan in one layer, and bake at 425F for 2 minutes or less until they turn bright green. Once cool, chop into fine pieces.
- Chop kimchi: lightly squeeze liquid out of kimchi and chop into fine pieces. Save the kimchi juice for the dipping sauce.
- Prepare aromatics and seasonings: grate ginger, press garlic, finely mince green onions. Mix miso, say sauce, gochujang, and brown sugar.
- Bring them all together: In a large bowl, mix together sesame seeds, shiitake mushrooms, kale, tofu, kimchi, aromatics, seasonings, egg, and potato starch. NOTE: I made this batch with twice the ingredients, so you see two eggs instead of one.
- Mix well: mx them thoroughly by hand, until all the ingredients bind together and somewhat sticky.
- Make dumplings: drop a small amount (about 1-heaping-teaspoonful) of the filling in a center of dumpling wrapper. Resist the temptation of overstuffing, which I tend to do! The one pictured here is probably a bit too much. Wet the inside edge of wrapper with water, fold in half, seal well by gently stretching the wrapper and pressing firm, and make 3-5 ridges and as you press.
- Store dumplings: until about 10 minutes before you are ready to cook, keep all the dumplings well covered in a cool place. You can make ahead up to a day. You can also freeze them, and in that case, make sure you space them apart in a container to avoid them sticking together.
- Cook dumplings: Heat a frying pan to medium high, drop a small amount of sesame oil and spread to create a thin layer. Once oil is hot, place dumplings in one layer. It's best if they are not touching each other. After a minute or two, shake the pan to make sure they are not sticking to the pan, lower the heat to medium-low, drop 1/2 cup of water into the pan, and cover with a lid. After 3-4 minutes, open the lid, and if there are still some water left, let it evaporate. The bottom should be brown & crispy. If not, cook for another 30 seconds.
- Make the dipping sauce while you are cooking the dumplings and enjoy while they are hot! The serving size is for appetizer, and you can double it, add side vegetables, and make it a meal.
Nutrition
Epic kimchi dumpling w/beans, no meat
Equipment
- Medium size frying pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 15 oz Mixed beans about 1-3/4 cups cooked (amount in typical can); I used a mix of kidney, pinto, and black beans.
- 1 cup kimchi About 150g
- 7 oz tofu firm or extra firm; about 1/2 of typical package or 200g
- 8 oz shimeji mushroom typical one package size; can use shiitake (non-dried), brown, button mushrooms or mix.
- 2 cups mixed herbs (mint, basil, cilantro, parsley) you can use whatever you have at hand
- 1 piece egg
- 1 tbsp potato starch Katakuriko in Japanese; can use corn starch
- 50 pieces dumpling wrapper
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
Cooking mushrooms
- 8 pieces dried shiitake mushroom pre-soaked (see below)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar can use 1 tsp of mirin as well
Cooking kale
- 1 bunch kale 2-3 cups raw; about 1/2 cup cooked
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Aromatics
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 5 stalks green onion can substitute with regular onion
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp miso
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang can substitute with 1/2 tbsp of miso and 1/2 tbsp of chili sauce (or 1 tsp of red pepper flake)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Dipping sauce (for 12 servings)
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar can use regular vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp kimchi juice or 2 tbsp of chili sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
Instructions
- Mush cooked beans: mush beans until it becomes the texture you like either by hand or via food processor. Here I used mix of black/kidney/pinto beans and left them chunky.
- Prepare mushrooms: slice pre-soaked dried shiitake mushrooms and place in a small pan with the soaking liquid, enough to cover the pieces, and small amounts of soy sauce and brown sugar/mirin (taste and adjust to your preference). Cook for about 5-10 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, and let cool. For details ono how to pre-soak dried shiitake mushrooms, see Summer Soba Mélange recipe. Chop both shiitake and other mushrooms into fine pieces.
- Prepare tofu: drain tofu into a colander, break into small pieces, and let it drain further.
- Prepare kale: wash them thoroughly (twice or three times, depending on what kinds of sediments you see in water after the first wash), rip in small pieces (about 3-5 inches), dry very well (spin and towel). Massage small amounts of soy sauce/sesame oil into kale, spread them on a sheet pan in one layer and bake at 425F for 2 minutes or less until it turns bright green. Once cooled, chop into tiny pieces.
- Chop kimchi: lightly squeeze liquid out of kimchi and chop into tiny pieces. Save the kimchi juice for the dipping sauce.
- Prepare aromatics and seasonings: grate ginger, press garlic, finely mince green onions and herbs. Mix miso, soy sauce, gochujang, and brown sugar.
- Bring them all together: in a large bowl, mix beans, mushrooms, kimchi, kale, tofu, green onions, herbs, one whole egg, sesame seeds, and potato starch.
- Mix them thoroughly by hand, until all the ingredients bind together and somewhat sticky. This is how it might look like after mixing (I know, it's not necessarily greatly appetizing).
- Make and store dumplings: drop a small amount (about 1-heaping-teaspoonful) of the filling in a center of dumpling wrapper. Resist the temptation of overstuffing, which I tend to do! Wet the inside edge of wrapper with water, fold in half, seal well by gently stretching and pressing firm, and make 3-5 ridges as you press. You can make ahead up to a day. You can also freeze them, and in that case, make sure you space them apart to avoid them sticking together after defrosting.
- Cook dumplings: about 10 minutes before you are ready to eat, heat a frying pan to medium high, drop a small amount of sesame oil and spread to create a thin layer. Once the oil is hot, place dumplings in one layer. It's best if they are not touching each other. After a minute or two, shake the pan to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low, drop 1/2 cup of water into the pan, and cover with a lid. Cook additional 3-4 minutes. Open the lid and if there are still some water left, let it evaporate. The bottom should be brown & crispy. If not, cook for another 30 seconds.
- Make dipping sauce while you are cooking the dumplings and enjoy while they are hot! The serving size is for appetizer, and you can double it, add side vegetables, and make it a meal!
Notes
Nutrition
About The Author
MayumiW
Related Posts
High Flavor-Low Carb Tofu Konjac Ramen with Avocado & Kimchi
Ramen noodles made from soybeans and konjac flour can make a guilt-free, satisfying, and…
November 12, 2022
Roasted cruciferous with walnuts, mushrooms, and double garlic
Plant based dish loaded with flavors and textures We love cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel…
May 3, 2022
Leave A Comment