Vegetarian Lentil and Mushroom Mandu

Vegetarian Lentil and Mushroom Mandu

Author: Katie Morris of Katie at the Kitchen Door
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Serves: Makes 35-45 dumplings

Ingredients

• ¾ c. French puy lentils
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 ½ c. roughly chopped shiitake mushrooms (in ½ inch pieces)
• 1 TBS canola oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger (from about 1 inch piece, peeled)
• 1 ½ TBS minced garlic (from 4-5 large cloves)
• 3 cups of shredded napa cabbage, white cores chopped into small pieces (from 8-10 large leaves, rinsed and patted dry)
• Sea salt
• 1 tsp gochujang
• 35-45 gyoza wrappers
• Small bowl of water
• 3 TBS canola oil, for frying

For the dipping sauce:

• 2 TBS soy sauce / tamari
• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp gochujang
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the lentils, then add to a small saucepan with the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the lentils are tender but not falling apart and have absorbed most of the water, about 20-30 minutes (start checking them at 20). Drain any remaining liquid and set aside. Taste and add sea salt and pepper if desired (the flavor of the lentils will vary with the flavor of the stock you use).
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until golden brown all over and almost crispy. Remove from the heat and add the mushrooms to the lentils.
3. Heat 1 TBS of the canola oil and the 1 tsp of sesame oil over medium heat, in the same frying pan as you used for the mushrooms. Add the minced ginger and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 60-90 seconds. Add the shredded cabbage to the pan and season liberally with sea salt, then stir fry, stirring frequently, until the cabbage has released its liquid and the liquid has evaporated completely. This should take about 4-6 minutes, but try not to take it off the heat too early – the cabbage will reduce to about 1/3 of its original size and may start to brown slightly in the pan. You want the cabbage to be really dry to keep the dumpling filling from getting soupy. Stir the cooked cabbage into the mushroom and lentil mixture.
4. Stir the gochujang into the mixture, then season to taste with sea salt. Place the thawed gyoza wrappers on a flat surface. Working one at a time, place 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the center of a wrapper, dip your finger in the water and run it around the edge of half of the wrapper, then fold the dumpling into a half moon shape and pinch or pleat the dumpling closed, pressing firmly to seal the dumpling. Set dumpling aside on a tray. Repeat until you have used all of the filling.
5. Heat the canola oil for frying in a large saucepan over medium heat. Dumplings should immediately sizzle when you place them in the pan – if they don’t, wait another minute for the oil to get hotter. Working a few at a time, fry the dumplings until they are golden brown all over, which takes about 30-45 seconds per side. Use tongs or a spatula to remove the dumpling to a paper-towel lined tray. Repeat until all the dumplings are cooked.
6. To make the dipping sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together. Serve with the hot dumplings.