Epic kimchi dumpling w/beans, no meat
Flavorful and nutrient rich dumplings with kimchi, tofu, kale, shiitake, gochujang, miso, and other seasonings. Can substitute meat with cooked beans and mushrooms. Also delicious in a soup.
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
You can use food processor to mix ingredients if you like smooth & silky texture. I like to taste different ingredients, and like to mix by hand.
Nutrition
Serving: 5piecesCalories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 9gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 538mgPotassium: 371mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1479IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 3mg
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