NO-PASTRY CHINESE TOFU DUMPLINGS, Vegetarian , healthier, prep in advance

Easy pastry-free crispy vegetarian dumplings/fritters... 

originally posted in 2022 as vegan; corrected 2023

Easy make at home Chinese vegan dumplings, here served with 
Chilli Hoisin Sauce

These gorgeous little Tofu dumplings/fitters were inspired by Chinese food chef Fuchsia Dunlop who - despite her name and reputation for Chinese cuisine - is a westerner, the first to train at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine.  

She creates recipes for 'real Chinese cooking for non-Chinese cooks' with dishes  offering authentic flavours, often involving bean and chilli pastes, and Chinese vinegars.  Her original recipe published in the Guardian is here.

All power to her!

Because 67goingon50 is about good food on a budget, it relied mainly on standard cupboard ingredients and emphasised less fat, sugar and carbs for this version. 

The 67 kitchen doesn't have a deep fryer and formed the mixture into a sort-of fritter instead.   

And it shallow or air-fried the dumplings (though if there are no cholesterol/weight issues, deep-fry away!) A few more vegetables have been added to the mix to increase fibre and add a little more texture.

Fuchsia served her dumplings in her own Sichuan sauce; 67's adapted the recipe to make a low-sugar Chilli Hoisin sauce.

The Dumplings can also be served
with a variety of Asian sauces: soy, hoisin and oyster.

Cost: £2.50'ish

Makes: 15 large/20 med dumpling/fritters

Ingreds:

2 large or 4 small dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted (see substitutes below)

450 g/15.8 oz firm tofu, not silken

2 large egg whites 

4 tbsps cornstarch or potato flour
1/2 tsp salt and ground pepper to taste

1 peeled med carrot, coarsely grated

1/3 cup bamboo shoots, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup water chestnuts OR 2 sticks peeled celery, coarsely chopped

2.5 tbsp Chilli-Hoisin Sauce

Vegetable oil for cooking 

Method:

1. Cover dried mushrooms with boiling water; soak at least half an hour.  Remove from liquid, discard stems, finely chop caps. Set aside, saving liquid for Chilli Hoisin Sauce.  
2. Roughly chop tofu, add egg whites, potato starch or cornflour & 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper; process until the mixture forms a kind of gritty paste and holds together in a spoon (67 does not have a food processor but divided the mixture in two, and used a stick blender to reach the desired consistency) 
3. Transfer to a bowl, stir in Chilli Hoisin sauce, carrot, mushrooms, celery & bamboo shoots, distributing evenly
4. Scoop out spoonfuls of the mixture, form into balls, place on a tray lined with foil; flatten slightly and even out the edges with your hands (67 wanted dumplings which could be eaten by hand and used a spring loaded scoop 1.75in/5cm diameter but smaller ones are fine).  The dumplings can be refrigerated at this stage.   
5. When ready to cook: SHALLOW FRY: heat large frying pan on med high with a thin layer of cooking oil until very hot; using a fish slice, carefully slide dumplings into pan without crowding.  Shallow fry 5 mins each side or until dark golden brown. 
6. OR bake in an air fryer 10 mins each side at 200C/400F   
7. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Continue till mixture is used up.
8. Eat warm, at room temperature or reheat in in moderate oven 5-10 mins 
9. Arrange on serving platter with extra sauce/s
10. Eat with fingers or chopsticks

Comments:

'These dumpling/fritters were unexpectedly tasty; I loved them dribbled with Chilli-Hoisin sauce.  But they are also great with the  Asian dipping sauces.  The fact that they're so low in calories - no pastry! - means the shallow-frying isn't a problem.' Retired writer

Tips:

• Replace dried shiitake mushrooms with meaty chestnut, portobello, Crimini or oyster mushrooms cooked in a little oil and a generous pinch 5-spice powder.  Other recommendations include reconstituted porcini mushrooms.  None of these suggestions has been tested by 67
• the dumplings/fritters can be deep-fried but obviously will be higher in fat

This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission