Wontons Recipe

Press the tofu for 10–15 minutes to remove excess water, then crumble or finely dice into small pieces.

Finely shred the napa cabbage and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss, let sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a clean towel or your hands. Discard liquid.

Peel and grate the carrot, finely chop shiitake mushrooms and green onions. Mince garlic and grate the ginger.

Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add crumbled tofu, shredded cabbage, grated carrot and chopped green onions to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook 2–3 minutes to warm and begin melding flavors.

Stir in 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Cook another 1–2 minutes until mixture is fairly dry. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Set up an assembly area with a stack of wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water for sealing, and the cooled filling.

Place a wrapper on a clean surface. If using square wrappers, orient as a diamond. Spoon about 1 teaspoon (roughly 8–10 g) of filling into the center of each wrapper. Avoid overfilling.

Dip a fingertip in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold wrapper over the filling to form a triangle (for square) or bring opposite edges together for round wrappers. Press edges firmly to seal and remove air. Optionally, bring two opposite corners together and press to make a traditional wonton shape. Repeat until all wrappers are filled.

For steaming: arrange wontons in a single layer in a lightly oiled steamer basket or on parchment-lined steamer tray, leaving space between. Steam over boiling water for 6–8 minutes until wrappers are translucent and filling is hot.

For frying (potsticker-style): heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add wontons in a single layer and fry 1–2 minutes until bottoms are golden. Carefully add 1/4 cup water to the pan and cover immediately. Reduce heat to medium and steam 3–4 minutes. Uncover and cook 1 more minute to re-crisp bottoms. Alternatively deep-fry: heat oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry wontons in batches 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden; drain on paper towels.

Serve wontons hot with the dipping sauce.

Whisk together 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil (if using), 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp sugar until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust—add more vinegar for tang or a pinch more sugar for balance.

Transfer sauce to a small bowl and serve alongside the hot wontons.