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This dumpling wrapper bun is filled with juicy zucchini and pan-fried until golden brown. They are SOO easy to make and delicious to eat. Check out how to get the wrapper this thin with a simple hack below.
What is your favorite squash? Mine has to be zucchini! My husband’s colleague used to grow large zucchini and we were always blessed with some every summer.
Zucchini has high water content and a mild taste. This makes it a great addition to sweet or savory food. I love them in my Tom Yum Zoodles soup as well.
Since there are more zucchinis at the store, I decided to get them and used it as a filling for these dumplings. But instead of making the dough from scratch, I used a store-bought dumpling wrapper and roll it out thinner similar to my easy and crispy rice dumpling recipe.
There are many ways to serve the dumplings such as boiled, fried, steamed, pan-fried, or pan-fried then steamed (potstickers style). The last one is my favorite way because you’ll get a crisp bottom and a soft dumpling at the same time.
How to make Dumpling Wrapper bun
Part 1: Prepare the filling ingredients
First rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms by soaking them in cold water until soft, about 30-45 minutes. When ready, sliced them thinly.
Then, using a grater with smaller shredding holes, shred zucchini over a large mixing bowl. This is a similar method to my pan-fried steamed buns (Sheng Jian Bao). Then add salt and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes, covered.
Next, sauté the carrot and wood ear mushrooms in a heated non-stick pan with a splash of oil for about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt.
After 20-30 minutes, place softened zucchini in a nut milk bag over a mixing bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Then, transfer to a bowl.
Using the same nut milk bag, add the firm tofu and squeeze out the liquid. Transfer to the same bowl with zucchini.
Add the cooked vegetables and season. Divide it into 15 portions.
Part 2: Assemble
To assemble, place about 3-4 dumpling wrappers on a work surface. Dust the rolling pin with cornstarch and roll out the wrapper into 5-inch diameter circles.
Peel each one off and set them aside, covered. Take one dumpling wrapper and place it on your palm or in a bowl. Top with a portion of filling and pleat to seal.
Continue until you’ve finished with the filling, which yields about 15-20 dumplings.
Part 3: Pan-fry dumpling wrapper bun
To cook the dumpling, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. I used a 10-inch pan or use a large one that can fit all of them in one sitting. Arrange the dumplings in one layer. Since the dumpling wrapper has no yeast, it will not expand too much, so they can be placed close to each other.
Pan-fry until the bottom is slightly golden. Then, add in warm or hot water, enough to cover about 0.5 – 1cm of the dumplings.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook the dumplings until the water has evaporated. Maintain the heat to get the sizzle during cooking. The dumplings are ready when they turn translucent.
Turn off the heat and serve the dumplings hot with my homemade 10-minute garlic chile sauce.
Dumpling Wrapper Bun FAQ
1. It’s hard to roll out the dumpling wrapper – Be sure to thaw the wrapper to room temperature before rolling. If not, the wrapper will break easily. Dusting the work surface with cornstarch will ease the rolling as well.
2. My dumpling starts to break apart during cooking – The filling needs to be moist but not watery or too wet. If it is, it will soften the wrapper too much and they can tear apart easily. So be sure to squeeze out all the water from the zucchini and tofu prior.
3. My wok still has a pool of water after 5 minutes of cooking – If you have a tight lid cover, this may happen. In that case, uncover the lid and let the water evaporate. Or tilt the lid to allow the steam to escape in the future.
4. How to check if the dumpling is ready:
- The wrapper turns to matte white. It can sometimes turn slightly translucent depending on how thin you roll the wrapper to. The filling should be clearly visible once cooked.
- No soft doughy texture
- The water has evaporated (this is true if you are using a lid with a steam pout)
Other delicious dumpling recipes
- Pan-fried Steam buns (filled with zucchini)
- Lacy Potstickers with homemade wrapper
- Daikon Radish bun (Luo Bo Si Bing)
- No yeast buns (filled with green beans and tofu)
Why You Need this Dumpling Wrapper Bun
- Vegan
- Super Easy
- Best way to add more greens to your meal
- Easily customizable
- Perfect as a snack or side dish
- Has a soft outer layer, crisp bottom, and juicy filling
- TASTY!!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Dumpling Wrapper Bun with juicy filling
woonheng
Turn your zucchini into a filling and wrap in a dumpling for the most delicious and scrumptious meal. This pan-fried zucchini dumpling recipe is easy and uses store-bought dumpling wrappers that were rolled out thinner to create a soft outer layer with a juicy filling inside.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 15-20 dumpling wrapper used store-bought
- 1½ lb zucchini
- ½ lb firm tofu
- 1 small carrot shredded
- 2-3 medium-sized wood ear mushrooms rehydrated and sliced
- salt
- neutral oil
- water used ~1cup for 15 dumplings
- garlic chile sauce
Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- a dash of ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon mushrooms seasoning
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
Prepare the zucchini and filling
Using a grater with smaller shredding holes, shred zucchini over a large mixing bowl.
Add 1 ¼ teaspoon of salt and massage the zucchini until well-combined. Cover with a lid and set it aside for 20-30 minutes. This step is to draw out the zucchini moisture.
Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add a teaspoon of oil.
Sauté carrot for a minute. Add the wood ear mushrooms and continue to sauté for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
Now, place a nut milk bag over a bowl. Transfer the softened zucchini into the bag. Squeeze out all the liquid. Place them in a clean bowl. Continue until zucchini is used.
Using the same bag, add the tofu and squeeze out as much moisture as you can (check the video). Transfer them to the bowl with zucchini.
Next, add the carrot and wood ear mushrooms along with the seasoning.
Mix with a spoon or a pair of chopsticks until well combined. Tofu and zucchini may clump up from the squeezing, be sure to loosen them so they can absorb the flavors better. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Assemble the dumplings
To make the dumplings, place 3-4 wrappers on a work surface.
Dust a rolling pin with some cornstarch and roll out the stack to a 5-inch diameter circular. Peel the wrapper and work with one at a time. Keep the rest in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel.
Brush the edge with water and place a heaping spoonful of filling in the middle, then pleat to seal (check the video). Alternatively, place the rolled wrapper in a small bowl, add the filling in the middle, and bring all the edges together and give it a good pinch in the middle to seal.
Cook the dumplings
To cook the dumplings, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a splash of oil.
Arrange as many dumplings as you can in one layer, slightly apart. Pan-fry the dumplings until the bottom turns golden brown.
Add enough water to cover 0.5cm of dumplings. Cover with a lid and cook until the water has evaporated and the dumpling has fully cooked through. Please check the FAQ section for other tips.
Serve the dumplings warm with a side of garlic chile sauce and garnish with chopped onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes 15-20 dumplings
- The amount of water added to cook the dumplings depend on how large your dumpling is. I often add until it touches some part of the dumplings. A clear lid is always helpful. If you don’t have one, be sure to peek to make sure you’ll have enough water during cooking.
- Serve these with the 10-minute garlic chile sauce or any other chile sauce. It goes well with chopped ginger and Chinese black vinegar as well.
Keyword Chinesefood, dumplings
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