Sweet Potato Dumplings
Years ago, my friend Chitra Agrawal from Brooklyn Delhi and I used to serve sweet potato dumplings as a signature dish for our Chinese-Indian supper club. I got hooked on using sweet potatoes as a dumpling filling and would use it as one of my go-to vegan fillings. My regular version to make at home is not the Indian-Chinese version we created, but it is super easy and no less delicious. (I mean, how can you go wrong with soft sweet potatoes pared with Chinese seasonings?)
You can make these sweet potato potstickers for a dinner at home or for a large gathering. The dumplings store well in the freezer and you can pan-fry them straight out of the freezer, no need to defrost.
What is your favorite vegan or vegetarian dumpling filling?
Sweet Potato Dumplings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pack dumpling wrappers
- 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil for pan-frying (Grapeseed, peanut, canola, vegetable, grapeseed, sunflower, or safflower oil, about 1 tablespoon per dozen)
- If you are using olive oil instead, cook over medium heat instead of medium-high.
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoon chili crisp or chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes well and poke holes in a few places using a fork. Rub the potatoes with oil and place in a roasting pan or baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, until very soft.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the insides and place in a large bowl. Stir in the scallions, soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt.
- Line 2 dinner places with parchment paper cut to fit the plates.
- Put a tablespoon of filling in the center, leaving about 1 inch of wrapper empty all around the filling.
- Dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges all around. Take the thumb and index fingers on both hands, and make a ½ inch pleat and fold it down to the left. Hold the first pleat down with your left hand, and make a second pleat with your dominant hand and fold it down to the left, overlapping the first pleat by about half-way. Make a third pleat that overlaps the second pleat in the same manner. Continue making the pleats, turning the dumplings as you go, until you have at 5 pleats total. Bring the back (part without pleats) up to meet the front (part with pleats) and seal. The dumpling should be in a crescent shape. Dust the bottoms with extra flour and transfer them to the plates.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and optional chili oil or chili crisp for the dipping sauce.
- For pan-frying, make sure to use a large flat-bottomed skillet or a wok with a wide flat surface area, and have a lid ready. Heat the skillet or wok over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut or vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom. (Don’t skimp on the oil; the amount is integral for the pan-fried dumplings to develop their signature brown and crispy bottoms and not become glued to the pan.) Working in batches, line the dumplings in the pan, smooth side down. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the smooth side starts to brown. Lower the heat to medium. Carefully add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan, and immediately cover with a lid to contain the spitting oil. Allow the dumplings to steam for 5 to 6 minutes, until all or most of the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, and loosen the dumplings with a spatula. They should be golden brown on the bottom. Turn off the heat.
- If you are doing repeated batches, wash and dry the pan or wipe it out so there is no residual water when you pan-fry your next batch. Repeat the pan-frying process with the remaining dumplings or freeze any remainders for a rainy day.
Notes
Freezing the dumplings for later: Freeze the dumplings on your parchment-paper-lined plates for 2 hours (or overnight) until fully frozen, then transfer to a storage container. This way, they will pull apart much more easily later on. When you're ready to cook, cook them straight out of the freezer. Do not defrost first. Add 2 minutes more to the steaming time (and an extra 1/4 cup water when you're steaming.)
Never refrigerate the dumplings. The condensation from your fridge will make the wrappers too sticky.
