Veggie Dumplings

Name: Veggie Dumplings
Prep time: 60 s
Cook time: 8 s
Total time: 130 s
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: FOR THE DOUGH; All purpose flour; Water; OR; Dumpling wrappers (for potstickers or gyoza); FOR THE FILLING; Chinese chives; Napa cabbage; Chinese celery; Bean curd; Shiitake mushrooms; Toasted sesame oil; Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; Ginger; Garlic; Onion; CRISPY LACE; Cornstarch; All purpose flour; Neutral oil; Water; FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE; Soy sauce; Black vinegar; Toasted sesame oil; Ginger; Sugar

24 Jan 2025

Mei Lin

Chef

Difficulty

Medium

Total Time

2H 10MIN

Cuisine

Chinese

Ingredients

FOR THE DOUGH

All purpose flour: 4 cups

Water: 2 cups

Dumpling wrappers (for potstickers or gyoza): 1 box

FOR THE FILLING

Chinese chives: 2 cups (chopped)

Napa cabbage: 8 cups (chopped)

Chinese celery: 1/2 cup

Bean curd: 1/2 package (8 oz or 1 cup chopped)

Shiitake mushrooms: 4 cups (use soaked dried mushrooms or sautéed fresh mushrooms)

Toasted sesame oil: 1 tbsp

Shaoxing wine or dry sherry: 2 tbsp

Ginger: 2 tbsp (grated)

Garlic: 2 tbsp (grated)

Onion: 1/2 cup (grated)

CRISPY LACE

Cornstarch: 6 tbsp

All purpose flour: 4 tbsp

Neutral oil: 4 tbsp

Water: 3 cups

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

Soy sauce: 3 tbsp

Black vinegar: 2 tbsp

Toasted sesame oil: 1 tsp

Ginger: 1 tsp (grated)

Sugar: 1 dash

Mei Lin’s veggie dumplings feature a savory filling of shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, and Chinese chives, encased in handmade wrappers.

How to make Veggie Dumplings

01.

Make the Dough

Mix the flour and water with a fork.
Flour a cutting board and knead the dough well for several minutes.
Let it rest under a damp cloth or plastic wrap for an hour.
Check the dough to see if it is elastic, soft, and smooth. If it's hard, then it's too dry. Sprinkle on a little water and knead again. If it's shaggy, sprinkle on flour and knead again. Let it rest for 10–15 minutes after the second kneading.

02.

Prepare the Filling

Mince all the ingredients and toss them together.

03.

Shape the Dough

Break off a section of dough and pull it into a long, snake-like shape. It should be 3/4 to 1 in. in diameter.
Roll it back and forth on the cutting board until it is rounded, then cut into 3/4-in. pieces.
Flatten each piece into a disk, making sure the surface of the cutting board is well floured.
Using a back-and-forth motion, roll the disk from the outside edge toward the center, continuously rotating the disk with your other hand.

04.

Fill and Fold

To wrap the dumplings, place a small mound of filling in the center of each wrapper.
Pinch the edges together first in the center, then both sides, pressing firmly to seal the wrapper. Make sure there are no leaky air pockets.
If you're using store-bought wrappers, you will need to moisten the inside edge with water, so keep a small bowl of water nearby.

Freeze the Dumplings

You don't have to boil all the dumplings. Dust the unboiled ones generously with flour and store in the freezer. These will keep for up to a month. To cook frozen dumplings, drop them into boiling water directly from the freezer, without defrosting.

05.

Make the Dipping Sauce

In a bowl, mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together.

06.

Cook the Dumplings

Place the dumplings on a well-floured tray. Don't stack them, or else they will stick.
When all the dumplings have been wrapped, bring a large pot of water to a boil and gently drop in 15–20 dumplings at a time.
Boil until the wrappers turn slightly translucent, about 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the dumplings are done, scoop them onto a plate with a slotted spoon.

24 Jan 2025

The Chef

Despite spending her childhood in the kitchens of her parents’ and relatives’ Chinese restaurants, chef Mei Lin says she initially had no interest in cooking Chinese food.

“But as I grew up, and as I started cooking more, I began going back to my roots. I started cooking the familiar, nostalgic flavors I grew up with. I really wanted to put those flavors at the forefront and cook the food I grew up eating—my way.”

Born in China and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, Lin spent her early career in acclaimed kitchens, refining her fine-dining skills at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Las Vegas and Michael Voltaggio’s Ink in Los Angeles. Her breakthrough came in 2014, when she won Top Chef: Boston, launching her into the national spotlight.

While Lin sees food television and restaurant work as distinct worlds, she acknowledges its impact: “Doing food television, I feel that it brings people into the restaurant and I think that’s fantastic. It really helps the traffic, especially in these tough times,” she says.

In 2019, Lin opened Nightshade in the Arts District of Los Angeles. The restaurant quickly earned acclaim for its bold, imaginative dishes—including her now-iconic mapo tofu lasagna layered with housemade pasta. Nightshade earned her a 2020 James Beard semifinalist nod for Best Chef: California before it closed during the pandemic.

Her latest project, the newly opened 88 Club in Beverly Hills, marks a return to fine dining—with a deeply personal edge. Lin is unapologetic about her vision.

“I don’t like to sacrifice on quality. I always put that at the forefront. We’re using the best ingredients possible and putting out the best food we can,” she says, emphasizing that she hopes diners understand the depth of what she’s offering.

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