Skip to main content

Rice Paper Dumplings with Veggie Tofu Fillings | Vegan GF

Literal little pockets of satisfaction and nutrition - these pan-fried rice paper dumplings are golden crispy on the outside, chewy and pillowy in the middle, and filled with savory, juicy, and umami fillings inside. They're also super quick and easy to make, you won't need to make or knead any dough, and all the ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten-free.

These rice paper dumplings are every bit as nutritious as they are irresistibly delicious. I love that the rice paper skin almost has a mochi-like texture and there are so many variations you can do with the fillings! You can get a complete and balanced meal in one bite - protein, vegetables, healthy carbs.

Of course traditionally, dumplings are made of wheat flour wrappers but I have to admit sometimes I'm just too lazy to want to handle flour and tend to the dough, so rice paper is a great quick substitute and they're also gluten-free! There are a few tricks to ensure your rice paper dumplings or rolls won't burst or break during frying and serving:

1. Dip, don't soak, 2-3 seconds is enough. Rice paper will continue to soften up after the initial exposure to water, so as you add fillings and fold, it will 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 there're too many air bubbles inside, when you're frying the rolls those bubbles would expand too much 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 make the skin stronger. I doubled in this recipe for added security and also, I like the rice paper skin to be a little thicker so it maintains an almost mochi-like texture in the middle. 

Watch the video for an easy visual guide and if you have any other questions, come find me on Instagram and Tiktok.

INGREDIENTS:

8 rice paper, or 16 if doing double wrapping
12 oz extra firm tofu
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 wood ear mushroom
3 ribs of celery
1/2 cup sweet corn
1 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoon coconut amino
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Smal pinch of salt 
Oil for cooking
Sesame seed for garnishing, optional

TO MAKE:

- Soak the wood ear mushrooms in some warm water for 15 minutes to rehydrate them, then finely chop all the vegetables;
- In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat, fry off the scallions for a minute or two till slightly golden and aromatic;
- Crumble the tofu into the pan, stir to mix well and keep breaking the larger pieces down with your spatula till the mixture is even;
- Season the tofu with the soy sauce and this also gives the tofu crumbles a bit of color;
- Add in the rest of the vegetables, season with coconut amino, rice vinegar, salt and pepper, cook till all the veggies are warmed through and the liquid is mostly gone;
- Stir in the arrowroot powder or cornstarch, mix evenly, the mixture now should be sticking together well and not too wet, set aside to cool down for 10 minutes;
- Dip a piece of rice paper in water for 2-3 seconds, shake off any excess water and place onto your work surface;
- Add about 2 tablespoon fillings to the bottom edge, fold up and encase the fillings, then fold up the left and right sides to the middle;
- Keep rolling forward like a burrito, until you reach the other end, and you can fry them at this step or double up;
- To double, dip another piece of rice paper, place the roll onto the bottom edge, roll up and close with the same method, repeat until you finish all the rolls, you should be able to get 8 large dumpling rolls or more if you make them smaller;
- Roll the rice dumplings in some white sesame seeds;
- In a nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat, pan fry the rolls till all sides are golden crispy, about 3 minutes for the first side then 2 minutes for the other side, check on them frequently so they don't burn;
- Serve hot, enjoy!

Popular posts from this blog

Whole Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower with Whipped Tofu Feta, Crispy Chickpeas & Chimichurri

Turn cauliflower into your next holiday centerpiece dish! This whole roasted cauliflower is super easy to make yet packed with layers of different textures and flavors, high in plant protein, and gluten-free! Cauliflower is literally magic, they can be turned into just about anything and have! This is a dish that fully celebrates cauliflower and compliments it with many different elements and flavors. It's very low-fuss and easy to make and it's so festive-looking it can be a wow factor at any holiday gathering. The cauliflower is blanched first then roasted with a turmeric-based seasoning till golden and slightly charred, served with crispy chickpeas, which are cooked at the same time with the cauliflower, on a bed of creamy fluffy whipped tofu feta and finally drizzled with tahini and chimichurri sauce. You can also add roasted baby carrots, or potatoes, or green beans on the side of this dish! Let the festivities begin ^^ INGREDIENTS: 1 head cauliflower 1/4 cup olive oil 2 t
Get the recipe »

Rice Paper Sushi Rolls with Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

When crispy rice paper rolls and sushi rolls have a baby - then we have something that has the best of both worlds. These rice paper sushi rolls are a perfect combination of earth and ocean, crispy chewy rice paper brings the aroma of the earth, seaweed brings the taste of the ocean, then filled with umami teriyaki tofu, homemade vegan mayo, and fresh veggies. If you ever feel "bored" with your food or cooking, try combining a few things you love and creating something new! These rolls are the kind of magic where 1 plus 1 is greater than 2! They are naturally gluten-free, very well balanced in nutrition with loads protein, carbs, vitamins, and fiber... packed full of flavors and layers of texture. When it comes to rice paper, a very common complaint is "why is my rice paper roll soggy/not crispy/leaking". Well rice paper is a wonderfully versatile ingredient to work with and once you get the hang of it it's super easy to get that golden crispy crust every single
Get the recipe »

Vegan Napa Cabbage Rolls with Tofu Stuffings

These napa cabbage rolls are almost like vegan dumplings but without having to make any dough. The stuffings are hearty, savory, and "meaty", wrapped in sweet and juicy napa cabbage leaves that are pan-seared to give them a little golden color and charred flavor, and finally dressed in a shiny, umami, garlicky sauce. Cabbage rolls are widely loved in many parts of the world - Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and much of Asia, as well as parts of North Africa. But of course, they're made differently from region to region. In China, in particular, cabbage rolls are usually made with napa cabbage, as opposed to cannonball cabbage, commonly known as green cabbage. They're then stuffed with minced pork and vegetables and finished by steaming or pan-fring. To make a vegan version, I used tofu, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, carrot, and scallions but the combination is highly adaptable. This is a perfect chance to use up any scraps of veggies in your fri
Get the recipe »

Vegan Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savory Pancake with Veggies)

My absolute favorite Japanese street food, EVER!  Okonomiyaki is like a big savory pancake that is thick, a bit chewy, fluffy and soft on the inside and golden crispy on the outside, topped off with a generous amount of umami and sweet sauce and mayo. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made of vegetables, sometimes meat and seafood, in a wheat flour batter. It's as adaptable as an omelet, if not more, as the word  okonomi  literally means "how you like" or "what you like".You can pretty much stuff it with whatever ingredients you prefer but for this vegan version, I used a variety of vegetables. This is also a great fridge clearing recipe to use up all the scraps of veggies you have on your hand. For the batter, the traditional okonomiyaki recipe calls for grated nagaimo to add fluffiness to the texture. Nagaimo, or mountain yam, is a type of root vegetable that's long and hairy, it's creamy and slimy when grated. However, it's not easy to find
Get the recipe »

Chinese Cucumber Salad - Suo Yi Cucumber

The most fabulous way to cut and present cucumber, ever! This cucumber salad is made of ONE SINGLE cucumber, sliced into a spring shape and dressed in a sweet, sour, and umami sauce, and finally topped with some aromatic and spicy chili oil. Let's please call this dish by its proper name - Suo Yi cucumber, or Suo Yi Huang Gua 蓑衣黄瓜. Suo Yi, refers to the traditional Chinese raincoat made of overlapping layers of straw and sometimes leaves, think a Hawaiian grass skirt but for the whole body. And the "scales" of the cucumber created by a special slicing technique and stretching resemble the layers of straws in Suo Yi, hence the name. And this special way of slicing is not just for presentation's sake! Because of all the incredibly thin, translucent, and flexible slices that this method creates, the seemingly ordinary cucumber is transformed into a form of magic and art! The texture is crunchy yet tender, every single thin "scale" of the cucumber picks up the s
Get the recipe »

Easy Vegan Kewpie Mayonnaise with Silken Tofu

This super easy vegan mayonnaise is silky, creamy, velvety, and tastes super similar to Kewpie mayo! It's made of 100% whole food plant ingredients, high in protein, without any oil or raw eggs and takes mere minutes to make! To be honest, I never liked the idea of raw eggs in traditional mayonnaise, I mean raw eggs whipped with an insane amount of oil... ugh... However, I did like its rich, creamy texture, especially the Japanese Kewpie mayo, which could add a nice flair in many dishes. The good news is this easy vegan version comes with all the familiar yumminess with no sanitary problems. The most important ingredient in this is extra-firm silken tofu. Yes, silken tofu can come in many different firmness too! For this specific recipe, I recommend the type of silken tofu that comes in paper cartons, not in a plastic tray with water. However, if you can't find extra-firm silken tofu you can try the regular type, different brands would have different water content in it. If it
Get the recipe »

Vegan Jumeokbap Korean Rice Balls 3 Ways

Make your next lunch box or picnic extra special with these Jumeokbap three ways! These Korean rice balls are the perfect grab & go meal and I made three flavors - filled with chickpea "chuna" mash, coated in teriyaki nori, and my personal fave, kimchi vegan cheese! One common confusion would be, what's the difference between Jumeokbap and Onigiri? Jumeokbap and onigiri are both rice ball dishes, but they come from different culinary traditions and have some differences in their preparation and ingredients. Jumeokbap is a Korean rice ball dish, you can usually find the various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood mixed IN the rice, and then shaped into balls, sometimes with fillings, sometimes without.  Onigiri, on the other hand, is a Japanese dish that consists of cooked short-grain rice that is shaped into a triangle or oval shape and often has a filling such as salmon, pickled plum, or tuna. The rice is usually seasoned with salt and wrapped with a she
Get the recipe »

Pan Fried Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings with Vegan Fillings

Happy year of the tiger! Dumplings are a must for me on the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year and these rice dumplings are the ultimate lazy and easy version. They're stuffed with a savory and "meaty" tofu veggie filling and then pan-fried till golden crispy. And to make the experience even more satisfying, serve them with some sizzling scallion chili oil! Rice papers are such a perfect "cheat" to make easy dumplings. No need to mix flour, knead the dough, then roll out the wrappers, simply dip rice papers in some warm water, cut them into shapes, and start wrapping. The texture is more like the "crystal dumplings" you would get at a dim sum restaurant - the skins would be translucent and chewy and if pan-fried, super crispy! For the fillings, I used a mixture of tofu and vegetables but this is highly adaptable! You can use up any scraps of veggies in your fridge and use any protein base you like - tofu, mashed lentils, or even crumbled tempeh. And i
Get the recipe »

Vegan Yaki Onigiri aka Japanese Grilled Rice Balls with Chickpea "Chuna" Filling

Your next lunchbox, picnic, snack, appetizer, for just for anything! These yaki onigiris, aka grilled rice balls, are simply the best thing you can do with rice - you get a golden crunchy crust that's glazed with a umami and sweet sauce, yet the rice inside remains fluffy and steamy, the savory aroma from the grilled nori, plus whatever fillings you heart desires. How do you make a seemingly ordinary ingredient exciting? Look no further. With a few simple steps and some culinary magic, voila, you can turn good old white rice into these irresistible flavor bombs. My favorite part is that golden brown crispy crust, I honestly can't stop crunching them away! Yaki onigiri is one of those things that if you know the tricks and hacks then they are a breeze to make; but if you don't know where you can potentially fail, chances are something is gonna go wrong. So here are some very important points to keep in mind: 1. Use freshly made rice while they're still hot. This is the
Get the recipe »

Vegan Tofu Salmon Rice Bowl with Homemade Vegan Mayo

This mind-blowing tofu "salmon bowl" is my favorite lunch bowl ever and I myself make it at least once a week. Perfectly seasoned and slightly charred tofu "salmon", broken apart and mixed into a bowl of steamy rice, topped with sweet chili sauce and creamy homemade vegan kewpie mayo, and finally all wrapped in a piece of crispy seaweed - it's land and ocean, nutrition and flavor, all in one bite. You might know this bowl as an internet "trend" but for me and I believe many other Eastern Asian kids, it's a childhood memory. I grew up in a coastal city right on the beach and crispy seaweed is a snack our household always had in abundance, they're just so delicious, available, cheap, and actually healthy. And before anyone even had to teach me, I started using crispy seaweed to pick up steamed rice, I’d even skip the chopsticks and just use my fingers to pinch up the rice and whatever I mixed in it for that meal with the seaweed. I love the feeli
Get the recipe »