Hawaii's Share Your Table

Vegetarian dumplings

Yields dumplings

Soups

Dumpling filling

•  Drain the water from the tofu by placing the tofu in a cheesecloth lined colander with a plate on top of it. Place a weight on the top of plate. Let stand for 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze out excess water then crumble the tofu into a medium size mixing bowl.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Holding the stem end, plunge the watercress into boiling water and blanch for about 3 minutes. Remove from the water and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain, squeezing out excess water. Cut off thick stem and discard. Chop the watercress fine. Squeeze again to remove excess water. Place in the mixing bowl.
• Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces. Add to the mixing bowl.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Place a spoonful of the mixture on a small plate and microwave for 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings.  

Making the dumplings

• For the filling recipe, you will need about 48 won ton wrappers. To shape the dumpling, hold the wrapper like a diamond instead of a square. Moisten two adjoining edges of the diamond with water or a beaten egg. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling on one half of the diamond. Fold the other half of the diamond over and seal the edges.
• You'll now have a triangle; moisten one of the two points on the long side of the triangle. Bring the two points together and press firmly to join.
• Place the dumplings on a baking sheet; cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.  To cook won ton, bring a large, wide pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling add the won ton. Cook them in batches, depending on the size of your pot. They will sink to the bottom; give them a gentle stir so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. As the won ton cooks, they will float to the surface of the water. Once they reach the surface, let them cook another minute or so before removing them from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon or strainer.

• Serve these dumplings in a well seasoned vegetable stock or chicken stock.

Notes

These dumplings can be served on their own or in combination with won tons. Garnish with fresh sliced mushrooms, cilantro leaves, bamboo shoots and chopped green onions.