Food is a great reason to bring people together. Whether it is for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, or even a casual get-together with friends, I immensely enjoy hosting dinners and potlucks. Not only is it a fine way to connect with friends, family, and community but it also presents the perfect excuse to make delicious dishes. After all, I just love trying different recipes and sharing them with my favorite people.
These vegan potato dumplings are a great recipe for such occasions!
With just three ingredients and a simple procedure, it is easy to prepare. Nevertheless, it is packed with flavor and I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t liked it.
Now, my version of traditional potato dumplings is slightly different because of an extra ingredient that is most likely in your kitchen already. This star ingredient is garlic!
To be more precise, we will be using roasted garlic in this dumpling recipe. This single ingredient alters the entire flavor profile and creates a delicate, nutty, and exotic taste. It enhances the taste of the dumplings and elevates it to a whole other level.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t overshadow the mashed potatoes that are the signature element of this dish.
To make this dish healthier and more exciting, we will also use spinach puree in the homemade dough for an interesting green color. So, the dough is simply flour+water+spinach puree+salt.
Then use the dough to prepare the wrappers for steamed dumplings or potstickers.
Although this recipe seems lengthy, it is quite simple and straightforward. There are five main steps:
- Prepare the spinach puree
- Prepare the dumpling/potsticker dough.
- Prepare the filling.
- Assemble the dumplings
- Cook the dumplings.
1. Prepare the spinach puree
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves
Method:
- Place the spinach leaves and water in a food processor or blender. Blend it until you have a smooth mixture. Alternatively, you can also use an immersion blender to puree the spinach with water.
- Add water if needed to ensure that the mixture is well-combined and smooth.
- Measure and set aside 4 oz of the paste for the dumplings. You can use the leftover puree in smoothies or refrigerate it for later use.
2. Prepare the Green Dumpling / Potsticker dough
Ingredients:
- 20 oz all-purpose flour
- 4 fl oz spinach puree
- 8 fl oz 120 ml of boiled water (see note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
Method:
- Add the measured quantity of flour and salt to a mixing bowl.
- Create a well in the middle (like you would when making pasta). Pour the spinach puree and half of the hot water into the well. Use a wooden spoon to mix it with the dough, so that clumpy bits are formed.
- Knead the dough together so it starts to come together. Add more water if it is too dry. If the dough becomes too sticky, add more flour to get the texture right.
If the dough is crumbly, dip your hands in water and knead it till the dough absorbs the water and becomes soft. You should end up with a smooth and soft dough ball that is firm and holds shape.
- Once you get the right texture, knead the dough ball for two more minutes. At this stage, the dough should be smooth and a little stretchy.
You can either use the whole ball or divide it into four equal parts for the next step.
- Leave the dough to rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours. You can wrap the dough ball/balls tightly in plastic wrap or seal it in a Ziploc bag during this time.
Note: You can either use the dough immediately or after it has rested for 2 hours.
If you would like to prepare the dough in advance and use it after several hours or on the next day, seal it in a storage bag and store it in the fridge. Remove it a few hours before use. Allow it to return to room temperature before using it to prepare the dumplings or potstickers.
- Dust your workbench with flour and roll out each piece of dough into long logs of 1” thickness. Then cut it neatly into 1 or 1.5” discs.
- Roll out each disc into a flat circle of 3 to 4” diameter. Use a cookie cutter if you prefer to keep the edges neat and smooth.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- To make sure that you have enough boiled water to prepare the dough, always boil the water first and then measure it. If you measure it before boiling, part of the water will evaporate, and you will be left with lesser quantity than the recipe calls for.
- Adjust the temperature of the water according to whether you are preparing dumplings or potstickers. Hot water is needed for potstickers and steamed dumplings. It allows the dough to come together quickly. You will also need lesser water to prepare the dough.
Use cold water for boiled dumplings. Excess water can cause the skin of the dumplings to wrinkle during steaming.
- To prevent the wrappers from sticking together while stacking, dust them with a little flour after cutting them out. However, this will cause some flour to stick to the wrappers. You can use a cotton sheet between the wrappers to avoid this.
- My favorite method is to roll out the dough in two batches using a pasta machine. With this method, you will need almost zero effort to roll the dough very thinly into a sheet with a thickness of 5. Cut the wrappers from the sheet and they are ready to use.
3. Prepare the Filling
Ingredients:
- 2 large onion
- 2 tablespoons frying oil
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 quarts water
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled, diced and rinsed in cold water
- 1 cup almond milk, warm
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- Fine sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
- Remove the top of the garlic head to expose all the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap it in a piece of aluminum foil. Place the garlic on a baking tray and bake for 50-60 minutes until the garlic is completely tender.
- Place a large pot with water and salt on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 20 minutes. The potatoes should be soft when pierced. Remove it from heat and drain the potatoes. Rinse it well in warm water to remove the starch.
- Meanwhile, prepare the onions. After dicing it, cook it in oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for 10-12 minutes till the onions are translucent. Set it aside.
- In a separate bowl, mash the roasted garlic using a fork. Add the cooked onions, almond milk, and butter to the mashed garlic. Mix it well till combined.
- Add this mixture to the potatoes gradually and not all at once. Mix in quarter-cup of liquid at a time and allow the potatoes to soak it up before adding more liquid. If you add all the liquid at once, the potatoes will be unable to soak it all up in one go and you will end up with wet mashed potatoes.
- Season the mash with sea salt and pepper.
4.Assemble the dumplings:
- Keep the wrappers covered with a wet paper towel and remove one wrapper at a time.
- Add 1 to 2 tbsp of potato filling in the center of a wrapper.
- Wet the edges of the wrapper with water using your fingers. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape.
- Press the edges of the dough to seal it and crimp the edges with your fingers. Ensure that there are no gaps while sealing the edges as it can cause the wrapper to open while cooking.
- Place the dumplings on a parchment-lined tray and cover it with a wet paper towel. The parchment paper prevents the dumplings from sticking to one another. The wet paper towel keeps the dumplings moist while you continue preparing more dumplings.
- Repeat the same process and fill all the wrappers with filling.
5.Cooking the dumplings:
You can either fry or steam the dumplings. Boiling is not recommended as it can cause the dumplings to fall apart.
Frying:
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add 2tbsps of olive oil.
- Once the oil is warm, fry the dumplings for about 2 minutes on each side. (It can take up to 3 minutes if the dumplings were frozen)
Steaming:
- Line the steamer with a wet cheesecloth or paper towel.
- Place the dumplings in the steamer and steam it for 8 minutes. Frozen dumplings can take up to 10 minutes to cook thoroughly.
- Serve with warm melted butter. Enjoy!
