I've never made these before, but I figured it couldn't be too hard 'cuz I've made so many samosas in my life! (I was smart enough to call my brother and his girlfriend over to help put them together in an assembly line fashion, since we were making them for a Chinese New Year party a while back.) I think I also might have used a little too much oil (but who knows... I don't ever follow the measurements, lol) because they were a little greasy... but still delicious!
Dough:
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· up to 1 1/4 cups cold water
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir together the salt and flour. Slowly stir in the cold water until a smooth dough is formed. Knead the dough into a ball, cover and let it rest for half an hour (during this time make the filling). Divide the dough into about 50 pieces and roll out circles about 3 inchs in diameter. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each circle, fold into a half moon shape and seal the edges. (If folding and pinching doesn't work, use a little corn starch and water to "glue" the dough together.)
Filling:
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 block extra firm tofu, mashed
· 1/2 cup water chestnuts, canned, finely chopped
· 1/2 cup shredded carrots
· 2 pinches hing
· 1 tablespoon minced ginger
· 1 tablespoon soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon sesame oil
· Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together, cold, in a bowl. Make sure the vegetables are cut up very small so that they do not poke holes in the wrappers. Add any other seasoning to taste.
Once all of the pot stickers are put together, Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet (Don't add too much like I did!). When the oil is hot, place the dumplings next to each other. Cook on high until they are a very light golden brown on the bottom. Without moving the dumplings, add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Cook for about a minute, then uncover the skillet and finish cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporated. (These cook very quickly, so don't leave the pan unattended or else you'll get burned bottoms!)
Serve with the brown side facing upwards.
