Potstickers vegetariens

03 — Method

1. Very finely shred the 300 g (11 oz) of cabbage and toss with 1 tsp of salt in a bowl for 15 minutes to draw out the water. Squeeze hard between your palms to remove all moisture.
2. Finely dice the 200 g (7 oz) of shiitakes 5 mm (¼ in). Coarsely grate the 200 g (7 oz) of carrots. Thinly slice 4 of the green onions (keep 1 for the sauce). Remove the germ from the 5 garlic cloves and chop them.
3. Finely grate the 3 cm (1 in) piece of peeled ginger. Crumble the 200 g (7 oz) of firm tofu finely with a fork so it looks like ground meat.
4. In the large bowl, mix the filling: squeezed cabbage, shiitakes, carrots, green onions, garlic, ginger, tofu, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and the sugar.
5. Sprinkle the cornstarch over and mix well with your hands. The filling should hold together but stay slightly moist so the potstickers are juicy.
6. Fill the wrappers: put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Brush the edge with water, fold into a half-moon and pinch closed with 5 pleats.
7. Heat 4 tbsp of vegetable oil in the large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Arrange the potstickers in circles, not touching (in batches). Cook folded side down over high heat for 3 minutes until golden and crisp.
8. Pour in 150 ml (⅔ cup) of water and cover at once. Steam over medium heat for 8 minutes. Uncover and let the water evaporate so the bottoms crisp again. Serve with soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili and green onion.