Tofu Dumplings with Spring Onion-Ginger Chilli Oil | Recipe

I don’t make them very often anymore because I’m lazy, but dumplings remain the ultimate Asian snack.

Feel free to make your own wrappers – because of the aforementioned laziness, I go for ready-made ones. I like wonton wrappers because they’re so slippery, but you can also use other wrappers or make gyoza with the filling. As long as you serve the dumplings with this fabulous chili oil, little can go wrong. The sauce is about double what you need, but it’s

also delicious on rice with a fried egg or noodles, or on cold silken tofu or tofu pudding with some crispies. The filling is also delicious on rice. Serve it cold, or fry it up in the pan with sesame seeds.

Ingredients

Chilli oil

• 3 spring onions thinly sliced into rings
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 3cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 25g gochugaru
• 200ml neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Dumplings

• 400g Napa cabbage, sliced into wafer-thin strips
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 250g firm tofu, finely crumbled
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• white pepper
• 40 wonton wrappers (thawed)

Equipment

• kitchen thermometer (optional)
• plastic wrap

Makes 40 dumplings
Prep time: 45 minutes

Method

Place the spring onion, garlic and ginger in a heatproof bowl.

Add the sugar, salt and gochugaru.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat to 180°C. Test if the oil is hot enough by tossing a piece of spring onion in. If the oil immediately starts to sizzle, it’s ready. Pour the oil evenly over the ingredients in the bowl and stir. Let cool to room temperature, then add the black vinegar and soy sauce.

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add the salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage for a few minutes, until the cabbage shrinks. Squeeze out the moisture. Transfer to a sieve, squeeze the cabbage again and let it drain. Place it back in the bowl and add the tofu, soy sauce, Shaoxing, sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper. Mix well.

Prepare a small bowl of water. Place a wonton wrapper on your hand and fill it with about 1 teaspoon of filling. Wet the edges of the sheet with your finger, fold the corners together and pinch to close. Place on a plastic wrap–covered cutting board, and repeat with the rest of the filling.