Two-Potato Curry Pot Stickers

Recipe courtesy of al320

1 cup mushroom mince (recipe below)

3/4 cup mashed cooked white potatoes

3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped sturdy green such as bok choy, napa cabbage or green head cabbage

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 package (10 oz) gyoza wrappers (about 42)

1 - 2 tbs vegetable oil for every 12 pot stickers you cook

1/4 cup vegetable stock for every 12 pot stickers you cook

chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

in a bowl, combine the mushroom mince, white and sweet potatoes, bread crumbs, egg, soy sauce, curry powder, sugar, salt, green onions, greens and cilantro.  stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  set up a work space with a clean, dry cutting board, a baking sheet, a small bowl of water, the gyoza wrappers and the two-potato filling.

place a wrapper before you on the cutting board and place about 2 tsps filling in its center.  dip your finger in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.  fold it in half to form a half circle, enclosing the filling, and pinch together the top center point to seal it.  now form 2 pleats in the left side of the wrapper close to you and press to seal closed.  form 2 pleats in the right side of the wrapper and press to seal closed.  now tap the pot sticker on the cutting board to flatten its base and help it stand upright with its sealed, pleated edge pointing skyward.  you can also shape the gyoza by simply folding them into half circles, sealing without the pleats and then standing them up and tapping them on the cutting board to form a sturdy base with the fold standing straight up like a crest.  place on the baking sheet.  fill and shape the remaining pot stickers in the same way.  place them without touching on the baking sheet. 

in a medium skillet with a tight fitting lid, heat 1 or 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.  add the pot stickers, placing them with their flattened base down, tucking them close together and fitting about 12 into the pan.  cook until the bottoms are golden brown, 1 - 2 minutes.  add 1/4 cup of vegetable stock, cover and cook until most of the liquid evaporates and the wrapper is translucent, tend and ready to eat (2-3 minutes).  flip the pot stickers out onto a platter, sprinkle with cilantro and serve at once with dipping sauce (recipe below).

makes about 40 pot stickers.

Mushroom mince

2 tbs coarsely chopped garlic (8-12 cloves)

1 tbs coarsely chopped cilantro root, or stems and leaves

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

8 ounces fresh button mushrooms, chopped

4 ounces firm tofu

3 tbs vegetable oil

2 tbs minced shallots

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs water

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

in a mini processor, combine the garlic, cilantro and pepper and grind to a fairly smooth paste, set aside.

chop the mushrooms until they are reduced to a crumbly pile and set aside.  chop the tofu into tiny cutes and set aside as well.

in a skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tbs of the oil until a bit of mushroom added to the pan sizzles at once, about one minute.  add the garlic-cilantro paste and toss until fragrant and shiny, 2-3 minutes.

add the mushrooms and cook, tossing often, for 5-7 minutes.  the mushrooms will soften, release their liquid, and brown as they cook.  when the liquid has cooked away and mushrooms are shiny and tender, scrape them to the sides of the pan and add the remaining oil to the center.  add the tofu and toss until thoroughly combined with the mushrooms and heated through, about 1 minute.  add the sugar, water, both soy sauces, salt and then cook, tossing often, until the mixture is moist, evenly colored and well combined, 2-3 minutes.  remove from the heat, let cool to room temp and refrigerate in a tightly covered container until needed.

makes about 1 cup.

Sweet and hot garlic sauce  (for dipping)

1 c sugar

1/2 c water

1/2 c distilled white vinegar

2 tbs minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tbs chili garlic sauce

in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic and salt.  bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, 18-25 minutes.  remove from the heat and stir in the chili garlic sauce.  let cool to room temp, transfer to a jar and seal airtight.  refrigerate until serving time, then gently heat until thinned to its original consistency.  serve at room temp.  it will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.  makes about 3/4 cup.