How to make
As big as the world is, all cultures seem to have one thing in common: They love dumplings.
This is ravioli in Italy. In Russia they are called pelmeni. In South America they call it empanadas. In the US, dumplings. And in Asia there are countless names for this happiness hidden in a piece of dough: it is called Jiaozi by the Chinese, Mandu by the Koreans, and in Japan they are called Gyoza.
The key to success is patience is one of the many beautiful Chinese wisdoms. And this is exactly what is required of you when preparing gyoza. So take your time and look at the preparation more like a kind of meditation - it works quite well with that. Because the result is just WOW and worth every minute you put into preparing the gyoza. After all, not all dumplings are the same. In each country they have their own individual flavor thanks to the use of local ingredients.
The sour taste from the rice vinegar and lemon juice, the salty flavor of the soy sauce, the light ginger and cayenne pepper, and the subtle sweetness of the agave syrup combined with the Asian spices make Japanese gyoza unique. Which vegetables you end up using is up to you. Asians love cabbage and spring onions - so I think it's important to add at least one of them in the dumplings. Otherwise, I use what I have in the fridge.
In this season of abundance of vegetables, you can combine spring onions with zucchini, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms. The cabbage with carrots and onions and meat is stewed in a pan. I fried the gyoza in this recipe and then stewed them with a little water for 3-4 minutes, but you can steam them. In Asia, by the way, dumplings are usually served as an appetizer. But nothing prevents you from eating them as a main course.
First, mix the ingredients for the gyoza dough. The dough should be soft and not too sticky. Place it in a bowl, cover it with a damp towel and let it rest in the fridge for 45 minutes.
We prepare the filling while the dough rests.
Either way, a little patience is required because first you have to wash or peel the vegetables and cut them into super small pieces. Of course you can put them in the chopper and shorten the time. To cut the carrots, I just used a grater (if you don't have a chopper).
Then heat some sesame oil in a pot. Fry some of the Asian spice mix first and finally add your chopped vegetables. Cook them briefly for about 4 minutes. Season the vegetables with the rice vinegar, soy sauce, agave syrup, lemon juice, salt and black pepper and add some coriander.
It's time to take out the dough (if we don't use ready-made dumplings from the Asian store).
Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into about 20-25 pieces with well floured hands. Roll each piece into thin, round, thin sheets of about two millimeters. Moisten the edge slightly with water, fold it like a ravioli and press the edge.
To do this, take a sheet of dough and add a spoonful of the filling. Add a little water to the edges of the dough - this will act as glue. Now take the gyoza in one hand, fold it like for ravioli so that the dough overlaps. Press the back and front halves together well. By the way, there are great video instructions on the correct art of folding on the Internet.
Now you can decide whether you want to steam or deep fry the gyoza. There is a combination of both methods by first frying with a little fat and then adding a little water and steaming.
Heat a non-stick pan with a little olive oil and sesame oil, put all the gyoza in it and fry them. When the base acquires a golden color and is slightly crispy, pour a little water into the pan (about 1 cm) and immediately put the lid on.
Steam until the water evaporates, this takes about 3-4 minutes. All these variants are available in Asia. You can also fry them in a deep fryer: 10 minutes at 160°C. Then enjoy with soy sauce (and maybe a small garnish).
If you are eating gyoza not just as an appetizer, but as a main course, I recommend a salad as a side dish. Enjoy your meal!
