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Cheesy Kimchi Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings

These rice paper dumplings are a decadent quick meal or power snack that hits all the spots - crispy, crunchy, chewy, with so many flavors. They're made 100% vegan and gluten-free, wrapped with rice paper, and filled with kimchi and melted vegan cheese.

So these rolls are basically a crossover between kimchi quesadillas and rice paper dumplings - they have the cheesy, spicy, savory, and rich kimchi fillings that are just like a kimchi quesadilla but wrapped with the golden, crispy, and chewy rice paper skins like rice paper dumplings. I mean, they just combine the best of the two worlds.

These are also super beginner friendly and easy to make! But every time I post a rice paper recipe I always get the very common questions - Why did my rice paper rolls break so easily? Why did they turn out soggy and not crispy? Below are some simple hacks to solve all these problems!

1. Dip, don't soak, 2-3 seconds is enough and the water doesn't need to be too warm. As you add fillings and fold, the rice paper will continue to get softer and softer. If you dipped the rice paper in water for too long then by the time you finish wrapping it'd already get too soft and soggy, and easily pierced by the fillings;


2. Try your best not to leave any air bubbles in them. When wrapping, roll tightly and smooth out the air bubbles when your fingers as much as you can, because air expands when heated so if left inside, the air bubbles could blow up during the frying process and burst through the wrapper;

3. Double up. This is not necessary as I've made rice paper dumplings with only one single layer and they were perfectly fine. However, if you're new to rice paper, this would be very helpful. Double wrapping will add some structural enforcement to your rolls and also make the skin a little thicker so it maintains an almost mochi-like texture in the middle.


4. To get them golden CRISPY. Before you put the rolls in the frying pan, there are two things you NEED to make sure. One, is the oil hot enough. A good and easy way to test this is to dip a moist chopstick tip into the oil, if it immediately starts to bubble, then the oil is heated enough; two, are the rolls dry on the surface, they should be pretty much dry to touch on the exterior and not still dripping wet.

If you check all these points you should definitely be able to get the cripsy decadent rolls like in the video! And if you try this recipe please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok I'd love to see them!


INGREDIENTS:

8 rice paper

1 cup cabbage kimchi

1 large scallion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegan shredded mozzarella

1 cup vegan shredded cheddar

1 tablespoon gochujang

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 

1 teaspoon coconut amino

High smoke point cooking oil like canola oil


TO MAKE:

- Roughly chop the kimchi;

- In a nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of oil, fry off the scallions and garlic, cook till they're aromatic;

- Add in the kimchi, stir to combine, add in the gochujang, soy sauce, and coconut amino, keep stirring to mix in the sauce;

- Bring the mixture to a boil and let it thicken till most liquid is absorbed, turn off heat;

- Dip a piece of rice paper in lukewarm water for 2 seconds, place on your work surface, add in 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella and another 1 - 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar onto the center of the bottom part of the rice paper;

- Add 1 tablespoon of the kimchi mixture on top of the cheese, and start wrapping the rice paper like a burrito;

- Start wrapping from the bottom edge, roll till all the fillings are covered, then fold in the two sides onto the center, then keep rolling forward till the roll is closed;

- Dip another piece of rice paper and wrap again;

- In a nonstick pan, cover the bottom with a thin layer of oil, heat the oil till if you dip a wet chopstick tip into the oil, it immediately starts to bubble;

- Pan fry the rice paper rolls for 2 - 3 minutes on the first side or until golden and slightly puffed, flip, and fry the other side for another 1 - 2 minutes;

- Serve hot, enjoy!


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