Vegetarian Dumplings

1 packet square (10cm) wonton wrappers
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs olive oil or grapeseed oil plus another tbs oil for frying the dumplings
1 desert spoon ginger, grated (a microplane is the best grater for this)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 brown onion, diced
1 medium carrot, grated (used a large grater for this)
100g mushrooms, diced
1/2 leek, washed and thinly sliced (wash in warm water to dislodge any dirt and grit)
200g green cabbage, washed and thinly shredded
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1-2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 spring onions, washed and thinly sliced (just the white part)

Pour oils into a frying pan and turn heat to medium.

Add the carrots, onions and mushrooms and fry for a few minutes.

Add the leek and cabbage and maybe a pinch of kosher salt.

Stir-fry for another 5-10 minutes but make sure they don’t burn.

Take the frying pan off the heat and add the ginger and garlic. Pour over the soy sauce and vinegar and stir to combine.

Allow to cool.

Place a wonton wrapper on a chopping sheet or chopping board, wet the four edges of the up-facing side. I do this using by wetting two fingers and then using one of the fingers for two of the sides and the other finger for the remaining two sides.

Place a tsp of the vegetable filling in the centre of the square, fold two of the opposite corners to together and pick up the dumpling in your hand. Press the other two opposite corners together and pinch all four corners together to seal the dumpling.

Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

Pour the remaining oil into a frying pan, add the dumplings, one at a time, slide each dumpling over the surface of the frying pan when you place them in the pan to coat the base of the dumpling with a little of the oil.

When you have about 8 - 10 dumplings in the frying pan (it is important that they aren’t touching each other), pour over 150 ml of water. Cover the frying pan and steam on medium high heat until the water has mostly evaporated.

Slide the dumplings to the side of the frying pan to allow the small amount of starchy liquid in the frying pan to evaporate. Pour in a little more oil and fry the dumplings for 3-5 minutes or until crispy and well browned. Be careful not to burn or overcook the dumplings at this stage.

Place the dumplings on a small serving plate, place a small bowl of soy sauce in the middle of the plate. Arrange the dumplings around the outside of the plate and sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds and spring onions.