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Ingredients
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Dumpling wrappers
Vegetable filling
Serving / dipping sauce
Method
Dumpling wrappers
- 1
prepare wrappers
If your dumpling wrappers are slightly dry, stack them and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Keep a small bowl of cold water nearby to seal wrappers as you fill them.
Vegetable filling
- 2
press tofu
Wrap the tofu in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and press gently for 10 minutes to remove excess moisture. Crumble or finely chop the pressed tofu and set aside.
- 3
prepare vegetables
Finely shred napa cabbage and place in a bowl. Lightly salt the cabbage (about 1/4 tsp), toss, and let sit 5 minutes to draw out water. Finely grate or julienne the carrot, thinly slice shiitake mushrooms, finely dice zucchini (or grate), and thinly slice green onions and chives.
- 4
squeeze cabbage
After 5 minutes, squeeze the cabbage firmly in a towel or between your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve the liquid for soups if desired. Transfer the squeezed cabbage to a large mixing bowl.
- 5
stir-fry vegetables
Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot first; stir-fry 1–2 minutes until softened. Add zucchini and cook 1 minute. Add minced garlic and green onions; stir 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 6
combine filling
Add the crumbled tofu, squeezed napa cabbage, chives, soy sauce (1 tbs), sesame oil (1 tbs), salt (3/4 tsp), black pepper (1/4 tsp), sugar (1/2 tsp), and toasted sesame seeds to the cooled vegetables. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning (a little more soy sauce or salt if needed). The filling should be moist but not watery.
Assemble dumplings
- 7
fill wrappers
Place one wrapper on a dry surface. Brush a little cold water around the edge of the wrapper (use the 1/4 cup cold water). Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper (adjust to size of wrapper).
- 8
seal dumplings
Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a half-moon. Press the edges to remove air and seal. You can pleat the edges for a traditional look: make 3 small pleats on one side while pressing to seal. Ensure seams are tightly sealed so they do not open during cooking. Place finished dumplings on a tray lined with parchment or lightly dusted with flour so they don't stick. Repeat until all filling is used (makes about 28–32 dumplings depending on wrapper size).
Cook dumplings (chilled style - Yachae Mul Mandu)
- 9
boil water
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- 10
cook dumplings
Gently add dumplings to the boiling water in batches so they don't stick. Stir gently right after adding to prevent sticking. When dumplings float, cook 2–3 minutes more to ensure filling is heated through (total time after floating about 2–3 minutes).
- 11
shock and chill
Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked dumplings immediately into an ice-water bath to stop cooking and chill them. Leave dumplings in ice water for 2–3 minutes until fully cold.
- 12
drain
Remove dumplings from the ice bath and drain well on a wire rack or paper towel. If serving cold, arrange on a plate; for serving later, store in a single layer in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Serving / dipping sauce
- 13
make sauce
In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon gochugaru (optional). Stir to combine and taste-adjust (more vinegar for tang, more soy for salt).
- 14
serve
Arrange chilled mul mandu on a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce on the side. Optionally garnish dumplings with extra sesame seeds and a light drizzle of sesame oil. These are meant to be eaten cold (mul mandu style) and make a refreshing vegetarian appetizer or light main.