vegetable won tons.

move over pasta machine, i've found a new foodie toy in my bamboo steamer. having recently tried out vietnamese summer rolls with king prawns and steamed pork dumplings i thought i'd set about finding a vegetarian dim sum recipe with the won ton wrappers i'd just bought. to my surprise, there were hardly any veggie won ton recipes out there. so i don't profess to this being authentic by any stretch but i hope you enjoy my recipe of oriental infused vegetables :) oh and do you like my new bowl and dipping bowl?

shopping list
makes 12 won tons

♥ 100g pak choi, chopped
♥ 100g red cabbage, sliced 
♥ 75g carrot, grated
♥ 50g spring onions, sliced
♥ handful of fresh coriander, torn and stalks removed
♥ 12 won ton wrappers, defrosted
♥ 2 tsbps sesame seeds
♥ 1 tsbp soy sauce
♥ 1 tbsp sesame oil
♥ 1 tsp fish oil (omit for vegetarian option)

begin by tossing the pak choi, cabbage, carrot, coriander and spring onions in a bowl.

the three key ingredients i love for oriental cooking are sesame oil, soy sauce and fish sauce. however of course leave this out for a vegetarian version.

heat a wok on a high heat and throw in the vegetable mix with the sauces and oil.

keep stirring around the wok for around 5 minutes, then add in the sesame seeds and continue to move around for another 5.

turn off the heat of the wok - your filling is now ready :) prepare your little work bench with your wok full of filling, your bamboo steamer, a space to fill and wrap your won tons and a little bowl of water to stick the won tons together. i got to use my little dipping bowl for this.

i picked up my won ton wrappers in the freezer section of my local chinese supermarket. very carefully separate roughly the amount you'll need and let them defrost in the fridge through the day. they are very delicate so defrosting in the microwave could ruin them. you could also make vegan won tons if you instead used rice paper - which is also available in the oriental supermarkets but likely in the dry section as you put them in warm water to soften.

so begin the won ton by spooning a heaped teaspoon of mixture into the middle of the square. then fold the edges in and dip your finger in a little cold water just to seal it.

fold in the top and bottom to make a mini envelope shape. then sit in the bamboo basket upright and pinch the edges together.

i researched a few ways of how to wrap won tons though this seemed like quite a good place to start. other ways were to fold over like a triangle and pinch together as well as making them in little pouches with a twist at the top. 

place on the lid and steam over a saucepan of bowling water for 5-10 minutes. often at this point you can deep fry the won tons too - though i've never actually deep fried anything before and it kinda scares me. plus this way is healthier of course :)

serve with soy sauce for dipping. 

have you ever made your own dim sum? what are your favourite recipes and how have you adapted them? you might also like recipes for vietnamese summer rolls or steamed pork dumplings. do let me know if you try them out!