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Vegan Har Gow — Traditional Chinese Dumplings with Shiitake and Red Spinach

Har Gow are the benchmark of any dim sum restaurant — translucent steamed dumplings with a delicate shrimp filling. Making them vegan means replacing the shrimp with a shiitake and red spinach filling that is genuinely better than the original. The wrapper is the challenge — getting it thin and translucent takes practice but the result is worth every attempt.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wheat starch
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Pinch of salt

Filling

  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, finely minced
  • 1 cup red spinach or regular spinach, blanched and squeezed dry, chopped
  • 2 tbsp bamboo shoots, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • White pepper to taste
  • Dipping Sauce:
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp chili oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced

Instructions

  1. Sauté garlic and ginger in oil until fragrant
  2. Add shiitakes and cook until all moisture has evaporated — this is critical
  3. Add spinach, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and cornstarch
  4. Stir well and cook 2 more minutes
  5. Cool completely before filling dumplings
  6. Instructions — Wrappers:
  7. Combine wheat starch, tapioca starch and salt
  8. Pour boiling water in slowly while stirring
  9. Add sesame oil and knead into a smooth dough — it will be hot, use a spoon first
  10. Cover and rest 15 minutes
  11. Roll into a log and cut into 16 pieces
  12. Press each piece into a thin round using an oiled cleaver or rolling pin
  13. Assembly:
  14. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wrapper
  15. Fold over and pleat the edge in small folds pressing firmly to seal
  16. Steam over high heat 8-10 minutes until translucent
  17. Serve immediately with dipping sauce
  18. The wheat starch wrapper is what gives har gow its signature translucency. Do not substitute regular flour — it won’t work.

Craving more? Try A Vegan Soup for Non-Vegans: Blood Orange Infused Coconut Carrot Bisque with Indian Aromatics next.