How to Make Malay Vegetarian Crystal Dumplings Asian Cooking Recipe Cuisine

Malaysia Vegetarian Crystal Dumplings

This recipe was taken from centuries old cooking techniques and when possible applied modern cooking methods and/or ingredients.  It uses Asian cooking styles, Asian Spices, Asian Sauces and Asian Ingredients.  The style of cooking may have a slight alteration while still maintaining the dish's overall purpose.  In this blog we touch on recipes that may be predominant for the Chinese Cuisines.  We will also share recipes based upon country, or regions such as: Burma, Cambodia, Indian, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.  Some cuisines are considered South Asian, South East Asian, Central Asian and/or Middle Eastern and may not be strictly connected to a specific country or culture.

Recipe Makes for 6-8 Servings:

FILLING

Scant ¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons light (regular) soy sauce

3 large dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and liquid reserved, stemmed, and chopped (generous ⅓ cup)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 dried wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted, trimmed, and chopped (3 tablespoons)

⅔ cup finely diced jicama

¼ cup finely diced carrot

¼ cup chopped Chinese chives or scallions (green part only)

1½ teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon shiitake mushroom soaking liquid or water

Salt (optional)

wonton or dumpling wrappers, circular (roughly 3-4 inches in diameter)

Directions:

 To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine the white pepper, sugar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and sesame oil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant, and a few garlic pieces have turned blond.

Add the shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, jicama, and carrot. Stir to combine, then pour in the seasoning mixture. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the jicama and carrot are tender-crisp. Add the Chinese chives and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until softened. 

Give the cornstarch mixture a final stir and add to the pan. Cook for about 15 seconds to lightly bind. Turn off the heat and taste for salt, adding if needed. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely before using. (The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Return to room temperature before using.) You should have about 1¼ cups.

Before assembling the dumplings, line steamer trays and/or baking sheets with parchment paper, then oil the paper.

To assemble a dumpling, hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand. Use a spoon to place 1 scant tablespoon slightly off-center toward the upper half of the wrapper, pressing down gently to compact and keeping about ½ to ¾ inch of wrapper clear on all sides. Bring up the edge and seal to make a half-moon

Press the rim to meld the edges into one. You can stop here and place the dumpling on its side in a prepared steamer tray. Or, set the dumpling down and gently scrunch up the rim to create a ruffled edge. Bring up the ends so it sits proudly upright.

Set the finished dumpling in a steamer tray. Make more dumplings and place them about ½ inch apart in the steamer; if using a metal steamer tray, keep the dumplings 1 inch away from the edge, where condensation will collect. Place any overflow dumplings on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart and cover with plastic wrap.

Continue making dumplings until all the dough and filling are used. Assembled dumplings can sit for about 1 hour before cooking, but do not refrigerate.

Steam the dumplings over boiling water for about 7 minutes, or until they have puffed slightly and are glossy and translucent. Remove each tray and place it atop a serving plate.


Serve hot with soy sauce and chile garlic sauce. Cooked dumplings can be refrigerated; steam for about 3 minutes before serving. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month, completely thawed in the refrigerator, and steamed to reheat for 3 to 5 minutes.

For the adventurous palate, a great side dish that compliments this recipe is Jaew Bong.  Discover more about Jaew Bong, check out www.jaewbong.com.

Enjoy..

Have an Asian dish of your own? Or you tried using our recipe? Please send us a picture, we would love to post it! email pix to cook@avagroups.info

Subscribe To Our Social Networks! Share with your friends your amazing dish, you just made!