Korean Dumplings (Mandu)

If you like dumplings and spicy food, you NEED to try our vegan take on Korean dumplings AKA Mandu! The filling is made with crumbled firm tofu, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, aromatics and Asian seasonings that not only make these dumplings super tasty but also juicy at the same time. We made the wrappers from scratch (because it's easy and a useful skill to pick up) but you can use store bought ones too if you like. And to tie these delicious dumplings altogether, we whipped up a Gochujang dipping sauce made with Dibble Mayo. Happy cooking!

Prep Time 1 hour and 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Serves 4-6

Difficulty Medium

Ingredients 

Mandu Wrappers

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Water

Filling

• 450g Firm Tofu
• 4 Shiitake Mushrooms, diced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Ginger, minced
• 90g Kimchi, finely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Spring Onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Mushroom Oyster Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper

Method 

Mandu Wrappers

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, water and mix thoroughly together with a wooden spoon.
2. Lightly dust a workbench and knead the dough for 3 minutes. Place in a lightly dusted bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. 
3. Place the dough on a lightly dusted workbench and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. 
4. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into 3cm cylinders. 
5. Place each cylinder alongside one another and divide into 30 equal pieces.
6. Lightly dust the pieces and cover with a tea towel so they don't dry out.
7. Place one piece on a lightly dusted workbench and gently flatten it with your palm.
8. Dust the surface of the piece and using a dusted rolling pin, roll it into a 8cm circle. Lightly dust both sides of the wrapper and place under a clean tea towel. Repeat this for all the remaining pieces. 

Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, crumble the tofu with your fingers.
2. Add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, kimchi, spring onions, soy sauce, mushroom oyster sauce, mirin, sesame oil, chilli powder, salt, pepper and mix together thoroughly, making sure you don't break or mash the tofu. 

Gochujang Mayo

1. In a small bowl, whisk together Dibble Mayo, Gochujang, lime juice and salt. Cover and set aside. 

Mandu Dumplings 

1. Fill a small bowl with water and place it on your workbench.
2. Place a Mandu wrapper in the palm of your hand and add a tsp of the filling to the centre of the wrapper.
3. Dip your finger in the water and wet half the edge of the wrapper.
4. Gently fold the wrapper over the filling and pinch down the edges to seal the dumpling up.
5. Dip your finger in the water and wet one corner of the dumpling.
6. Carefully wrap the dumpling around your finger so the corners overlap and pinch the corners together.
7. Repeat this for the remainder of the Mandu wrappers.
8. Place the dumplings in a bamboo steaming basket lined with baking paper, making sure the dumplings don't touch each other, and steam for 18 minutes. *Note: they freeze really well so you can save some for later!
9. Add the Gochujang Mayo to a dipping dish and top with sesame seeds. 
10. Enjoy!