All wrapped up! Easy vegetarian steamed dumplings

J.M. Hirsh, AP Food Editor

Whether or not Chinese New Year marks a major event in your life, it's easy to love many of the foods associated with it.

Dumplings are a traditional choice for the holiday, which this year begins on February 10. And while there are seemingly endless variations on the simple theme of stuffing rounds of dough with something savoury and delicious, the basic steamed dumpling is among my favourites, not the least because it is incredibly week-night friendly.

I always start by using purchased wonton skins as the dough. These skins, which are available in various shapes and sizes, are widely available, inexpensive, need no prep, cook quickly and are easy to work with.

For the filling, you can use virtually anything you like. Seasoned ground meats (pork, poultry or even beef all work quite nicely) are wonderful, especially when combined with diced vegetables, such as carrots and onion. The only trick is to make certain the ingredients aren't watery, as this will ruin the texture of the dumplings.

quick stir-fry vegetables

If your filling contains many vegetables, it's a good idea to give them a quick stir-fry before adding them to the mixture. This helps remove excess water. For smaller amounts of vegetables, this isn't necessary. You'll also want to opt for lean ground meats for the same reason.

For this dumpling recipe, I decided to go vegetarian and used purchased seasoned and baked tofu in the filling. If you'd rather use meat, substitute an equal amount of diced or ground meat and skip the food-processing step. You'll also need to steam for a bit longer (use an instant thermometer to check the progress and ensure you hit a safe cooking temperature).

For this recipe, I use a simple fold-and-pinch method to form the dumplings. It requires no special equipment or skill.

Vegetarian steamed dumplings with sweet and sour sauce

Seasoned baked tofu is sold with the other refrigerated Asian items, usually in the grocer's produce section.

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Makes 48 dumplings

For the dumplings:

12 ounces seasoned baked

tofu, cut into cubes

6 scallions, ends trimmed

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, leaves

and stems

1/2 cup finely grated carrots

1 whole egg or 2 egg whites,

beaten

2tbs hoisin sauce

2tbs soy sauce

1tbs toasted sesame oil

1tsp hot sauce

12-ounce package 3-inch

square wonton wrappers

For the sweet-and-sour sauce:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (cider

vinegar can be substituted)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2tbs apricot jam

2tbs ketchup

2tsp soy sauce

1tsp hot sauce

1tbs cornstarch

2tbs water

Method

In
a food processor, combine the tofu, scallions, garlic, cilantro,
carrots, egg, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Pulse until
the tofu is finely chopped, but not ground, about 10 one-second pulses.

One
at a time, place one teaspoon of the mixture in the centre of each
wonton wrapper. Dunk your fingers in water, then use them to wet the
edges of the wrapper. Gather the edges of the wrapper over the filling,
pinching them together to form a small bundle. Repeat with the remaining
filling and wrappers.

In a large sauté pan, bring about one inch
of water to a boil. Set a bamboo or other steamer basket over the water,
then lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Working in batches if
necessary, arrange the dumplings in the steamer (they should not touch),
then cover and steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the
sweet-and-sour sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the
vinegar, brown sugar, jam, ketchup, soy sauce and hot sauce. Bring to a
simmer. In a small glass, mix the cornstarch and water, then add to the
saucepan. Simmer for another two minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Serve the dumplings with sweet-and-sour sauce on the side for dipping.