These red curry tofu dumplings are great for parties or dinner! The dumplings are made with a braided pleat for a fun presentation (here is a video on how I pleated the dumplings). If the pleating seems complicated, there is nothing wrong with folding the dumplings in half and cooking them that way. They will still taste amazing!
Thank you to Nugget Markets for sponsoring this post and the giveaway!
I don’t always have a game plan when I go to the grocery store. Sure, I may have a list of items to buy, but I love the process of meandering through the aisles to see if anything piques my interest. My penchant for wandering around is the precise reason why my husband hates grocery shopping with me. I can’t help myself.
Nugget Markets is designed for shoppers like me who like to peruse. I particularly love their produce section because every time I walk through, I feel as if I’m greeted by a sea of bright colors. Everything looks so inviting and fresh, and I can’t help but load up my cart with fruits and vegetables. I kid you not, I spend at least 15 minutes in that corner of the market every time I shop.
I recently met with the Director of Produce at Nugget Markets, Adam, who was kind enough to sit with me and talk more about how they source and stock their produce. First and foremost, Nugget Markets strives to provide fresh, quality, seasonal produce for its customers. They receive shipments at least several times a week to ensure fresh produce in the stores. Every single time I walk into Nugget, I’ll see one or two associates replenishing the stock. To reduce waste, blemished produce are set aside in large compost bins that will be picked up and repurposed for agricultural use. Adam also shared that he is constantly looking for new produce to feature in his stores. That’s great for food enthusiasts like me. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the wide range of produce I can find, including fresh turmeric, napa cabbage, tomatillos, and asian eggplant.
Nugget Markets even carries the ingredients I need to make dumplings! You can find all the items you need to make these red curry tofu dumplings at Nugget.
[UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED] To celebrate the return of spring, I’m giving away a $100 gift card to Nugget Markets! Entering the giveaway is easy. Each person can submit up to 5 entries. You can comment on this blog post, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or visit my Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest pages for a chance to win. After you complete each entry, be sure to come back to the widget and hit “Continue” to make sure that it records your entry properly. That’s it! The contest ends on May 5, 2018 at 11:59pm PST. Good luck!
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS FOR THE TOFU DUMPLINGS
Red Curry Tofu Dumplings
You can freeze these dumplings! Line the finished dumplings on plates or a baking sheet and stick them right into the freezer. After the dumplings harden, transfer them to freezer bags. When you are ready to cook the dumplings, stick them directly onto the pan. There is no need to defrost the dumplings.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 40 to 50 dumplings 1x
Ingredients
- 14-ounce package of firm tofu
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, plus more for frying dumplings
- 1/3 cup chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups finely sliced napa cabbage
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 40 to 50 round dumpling wrappers
- water for wrapping dumplings, plus more for cooking
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Press the tofu: Drain the tofu from the package and wrap the tofu with a layer of paper towels. Place the block of tofu on top of a plate and place a small stack of plates over the tofu. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Unwrap the tofu block and divide it into 2 pieces. Crumble the tofu by squeezing it in your hands. Set the crumbled tofu aside.
- Cook the filling: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook a minute more. Next, add the cabbage and scallions and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, about 2 minutes. Transfer the tofu to the pan. Add the red curry paste, coconut milk, and salt to the pan, and stir to coat the tofu and vegetables. Turn off the heat. Transfer the filling to a large bowl and let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Make the dipping sauce: Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together, until the sugar dissolves. Set the dipping sauce aside.
- Prep the dumpling-making station: Fill a small bowl with water for wrapping the dumplings. Grab a baking sheet for the finished dumplings and a towel to cover the dumplings to prevent them from drying out. Get a spoon for scooping the dumpling filling.
- Wrap the dumplings: Dip the dumpling wrapper into the bowl of water. Rotate the wrapper so that the entire rim of the wrapper is wet, creating a wet border about 1/2-inch wide. Place the wrapper on your left hand. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of the wrapper. Pinch the right side of the wrapper. Using your index fingers, create a pleat and fold it to the right to seal. Create another pleat and fold it to the right to seal it. Hold on to the finished pleats and drag everything toward the center of the dumpling. Create pleats to the left and right of the initial pleats and seal. Hold onto the pleats you just created and drag them toward the center of the dumpling. Create pleats to the left and right of the finished pleats and seal. Keep doing this until you reach the end. Pinch the end together to create a pointed “tail” for the dumplings. I highly recommend referring to the photos above or watch this video to get a visual of the folding technique.
- Cook the dumplings: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the dumplings to the pan. Let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom of the dumplings are lightly golden brown. While holding onto the lid of the pan (to use as a shield), pour 1/2 cup of water into the pan. The water will sputter everywhere, so use the pan to keep the water from hitting you. Cover the pan with the lid and let the dumplings cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and check to see if the bottoms of the dumpling are deep golden brown. If the color is still pretty light, let them cook for a minute more. Transfer the dumplings to a plate. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and cook the remaining dumplings.
- Serve the dumplings with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Typically, I like cooking pan-fried dumplings in my cast iron pan because it blisters the dumpling wrapper the best, creating an extra crispy skin. However, if you use thinner wrappers, the dumplings won’t lift off from the pan too well, so you’ll get a lot of dumpling wrapper stuck onto the pan. For these dumplings, I used wrappers of medium thickness and used a non-stick pan to cook the dumplings.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Nugget Markets. Visit their website for more information or follow them on Facebook or Twitter! Click here find a location near you.
Terryia says
Can’t wait to try them!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you!
Lori says
I absolutely love your dumpling posts. These look so good. And Nugget Markets is the best!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks as always, Lori!!
Heather says
these look delicious and your how-to makes it seem a lot less intimidating!!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you!
Kathryn says
Can’t wait to try – thanks for the large quantity. Will be great to try for my next friends gathering and freeze the leftovers!
Lisa Lin says
Yes! Thanks, Kathryn!
Laura says
Just made your Hot and Sour Coconut Noodle Soup yesterday (ahhhhmaaaaazzzingg!!) and can’t wait to try this one too. Do you think these could be made and frozen prior to cooking? Doing some catering and these would be great vegan appetizer options. I love Nugget too, have to be careful not to go in there hungry!
Mary says
These are beautiful and sound delicious. I can’t wait to head over to Nugget to buy the ingredients! Thank you!
Jennifer C. says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try. I’ve been looking for dumpling recipes I’m glad I found your blog through nuggets facebook! Excited to explore your other recipes as well 😀
Jess @choosingchia says
I love red curry so I can only imagine how incredible these dumplings are! They look wonderful!
Colleen Whalen says
Yum Factor is 100%. Easy recipie, nutrient dense, Plant Based Nutrition….what is not to love?
★★★★★
Kathleene Eubanks says
This recipe made my mouth water – can’t wait to try it.
Rebecca Cahoon says
My family will love this new addition to our meals and tasty bites!
Anna Marie says
These sound so yummy! They look almost too pretty to eat! I need to make these.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Anna Marie!
Carmel says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I made the vegan mulligatawny and the shakshuka for my family and that loved it!
★★★★★
Lisa Lin says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for trying the recipes!
Eva says
These are so beautiful! and Nugget Markets is truly the best.
Lisa Lin says
It is! Thanks, Eva!
Kimberly@FoodTalko says
Made this for dinner last night. So good! Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying the recipe, Kimberly!
Liz says
None of the stores near me ever carry dumpling wrappers. They only have Nasoya wonton wrappers which contains egg.
Lisa Lin says
I’m working on a homemade wrapper recipe, so hopefully that will help!
Lisette says
These are amazingly delicious!! Thank you for a great recipe and video! My husband was shocked that I made these at home – am I’m a really great home chef! High praise!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you for trying the recipe, Lisette! Glad your husband enjoyed them!!
Pavithra says
Yummy! What brand red curry paste is recommended?
Sara says
This dumplings were absolutely fantastic. I have been looking for a vegetarian filling for a while and this one has gone on top of my list. Simple, quick and delicious. Love the kimchi kick.
Jessica says
Made these yesterday and they were delicious!! Didn’t get the pleat quite right but ok for a first time. Figuring out the pleating was so much fun that I think I want to make more dumplings! And the crispy base was the best part. Thanks for sharing
★★★★★