If you prefer a more traditional dumpling, try my chicken pot stickers, but if you’re feeling adventurous (or vegan/vegetarian), these are a wonderful alternative.


I’ve used ready-made wonton wrappers for the dough on these, but if you have time, I’ve included a recipe to make your own, which is always better.




Enjoy!

Pot Sticker Ingredients

  • 1 lb. butternut squash, raw, cubed
  • 4 tbsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ inch fresh ginger, very finely diced
  • 2 scallions, finely sliced
  • 30 wonton wrappers (OR make your own dough)

Directions

  1. Toss the butternut squash with 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt. Spread in a single layer over a baking sheet and roast at 400° F for 30 minutes.
  2. In a frying pan, sauté the shallot in 2 tbsp. oil until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and fry another minute or two. Add the scallions and cook until just softened. Salt to taste.
  3. Mash the butternut squash (or blitz it in a food processor for a super smooth consistency) and mix through the fried ingredients.
  4. Spread out the wonton wrappers (round or square) on a sheet of parchment paper.
  5. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Dip your fingers in cold water and run them around the edges of the dough. Gently pinch together the sides to form pleated edges. (You can find tutorials of this on YouTube, if you’re not sure how.) Be careful not to overfill, or they will be too difficult to seal. Repeat until all dumplings have been sealed.
  6. Heat 1–2 tbsp. oil in a frying pan that has a lid (or a wide-bottomed pot). When the oil is hot, place as many pot stickers as will fit without touching each other. Fry for approximately 2 minutes, then add a splash of water to the pan (1–2 tbsp.) and cover. Let the dumplings steam through for a couple of minutes so the filling gets cooked. Uncover and leave over the heat for another minute. Remove the rest and repeat with the next batch. When ready, the bottoms should be crispy, the sides tender, the filling plump and juicy.
  7. If you haven’t gotten the very crispy bottoms you wanted, you can always refry them in a little bit of hot oil after they’re done steaming. (Alternatively, you could just do these as fried wontons and pan fry them in oil to begin with, skipping the steaming entirely).
  8. Repeat until all dumplings have been cooked. Serve with dipping sauce (recipe below) and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallion (optional).

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 scallion, sliced
  • ½ chili pepper, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 6 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1–2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
  • Sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Slice scallions, red chili pepper, garlic and ginger.
  2. Whisk all ingredients together.
  3. Serve with dumplings.

Note: The longer the sauce sits, the spicier it gets, so if you prepare it in advance, you may want to leave out the chili pepper and add it in shortly before serving.

Yields: 30 dumplings