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Gluten Free Crystal Skin Dumplings
4.96 from 23 votes
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Servings: 24 Dumplings

Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings with Tofu & Vegetable Filling

Here’s a detailed walkthrough of how to make gluten-free crystal dumplings. You’ll likely have plenty of filling left over. Use it in fried rice or any other kind of stir fry. The dumpling skin is chewy, a bit like mochi. I highly recommend pan frying the bottoms of the dumplings so that you get the crunchy and chewy textures with each bite.
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

Filling

  • 7 ounces extra-firm tofu, about 1/2 block
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, or any neutral oil
  • 1 cup (50g) chopped shiitake mushrooms
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 medium carrot, grated (about 1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup (60g) chopped garlic chives (Chinese chives)
  • 2 tablespoons minced or grated ginger
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons gochujang, see note 1
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Dumpling Skins

  • 160 g (1 cup) potato starch
  • 30 g (1/4 cup) tapioca flour/tapioca starch
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 150 g (2/3 cup) boiling hot water , see note 2
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Dipping Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons hot sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed

Equipment

  • 2 mixing bowls
  • 9 to 10- inch pans, plates, or bamboo steamer
  • parchment paper
  • quart-sized ziploc bag
  • small rolling pin or wooden dowel
  • large wok with lid
  • steaming rack

Instructions

Prepare Filling

  • Wrap the tofu with paper towels, a muslin cloth, or a cheesecloth. Place the tofu on a plate and place a weighted object (like a bowl) over the wrapped tofu. Be careful that what you place on top won’t tip over as you press the tofu. Press the tofu for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, use your hands to crumble the tofu into a bowl.
  • Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to shrink. Season the mushrooms with a small pinch of kosher salt. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the tofu. 
  • Add all of the other ingredients for the filling to the bowl and mix together. Some gochujang is spicier than others, so you may want to only use 2 tablespoons instead of 3. Set the filling aside.

Make Dumpling Skins

  • Mix the potato starch, tapioca flour, and kosher salt in a bowl. 
  • Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil into a saucepan. Measure 150 grams or 2/3 cup boiling hot water and pour it into the bowl with the flours. I usually pour 150 grams of hot water directly into the bowl. Cover the saucepan with the lid and set it aside. You may need the water again if the dough is feeling dry. 
  • Stir the flour and water together for about 1 minute. By now, most of the loose flour should be gathered into small bits of dough. Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil over the dough. 
  • Use your hands to start gathering and kneading the dough together. If the dough is too hot to touch, cover it with a lid and let the dough rest for 2 minutes before kneading. The dough should come together pretty easily. If the dough feels very dry even after 1 minute of kneading the dough, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the reserved hot water over the flour and knead. Continue doing this until you’ve gathered up all the bits of dough into one large lump of dough.
  • Transfer the dough onto a counter or surface and knead the dough for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is nice and smooth. You don’t need to flour the surface. The dough will feel moist but shouldn’t be overly sticky after 2 minutes of kneading. If it is feeling sticky, sprinkle some potato starch over the dough and knead it into the dough. 

Make Dipping Sauce

  • While you still have warm water on hand, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of warm water with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar until the sugar fully dissolves. 
  • Mix in the rest of the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Set the sauce aside. 

Make Dumplings (see video below for a demonstration)

  • Cut off the zipper portion of a quart-size plastic ziploc bag. Then, cut open 2 sides of the plastic bag. The bag should now open and close like a folder. (See note 3)
  • Divide the dough in half, and transfer 1 piece of dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a lid or damp towel. 
  • Cut the other half of dough into 12 equal pieces, about 13 to 15 grams each. Roll the pieces into small balls. Place all the small balls of dough except 1 into the bowl with the large dough half. Keep the bowl covered. Alternatively, you can leave the small balls of dough on your counter and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying.
  • Open up the ziploc bag. Place one ball of dough in the center. Cover the dough with the other side of the ziploc bag. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough into a disc. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough like pie crust until the dough is about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Then, place the rolling pin over the center of the wrapper. Press and push the dough outward in a sweeping motion, until the dumpling skin is about 3.75 inches in diameter. 
  • Uncover the dumpling skin and place it on one hand. Place about 2 teaspoons of filling on the center of the skin. Pinch together the skin on the right. Using your index fingers, create a pleat and seal it over to the right. Continue making pleats and seal them over to the right until you have finished making the dumpling. (See note 4) 
  • Transfer the dumpling to a pan or bamboo steamer lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan or bamboo steamer with a towel to keep the dumplings from drying out.
  • Continue making the dumplings until you’re out of dumpling dough. You’ll likely have a lot of filling leftover, so use it in a stir fry.

Cook Dumplings

  • Fill a large wok with water and place a steaming rack in the center. Make sure that the water level is below the top of the steaming rack (by about 1/4 to 1/2 inch). Bring the water to boil.
  • Carefully place one of the plates with the dumplings onto the steaming rack and cover the wok with the lid. Steam the dumplings for 5 to 6 minutes. Then, steam the rest of the dumplings.
  • The dumpling skin is a bit chewy in texture. I recommend pan frying them in oil over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes to blister the bottoms. Make sure to do this in a nonstick pan to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pan.
  • Serve the dumplings immediately. 
  • Freezer Directions: Line pleated dumplings on plates or pans lined with parchment paper. Make sure the dumplings aren’t sticking together or else they’ll be tough to break apart. Once the dumplings harden, transfer them to freezer bags. The dumplings will have minor cracks once they’re frozen. Don’t worry, the cracks will seal up during the steaming process. You do not need to defrost the dumplings before cooking. Just steam them on high heat for 7 to 8 minutes. 

Video

Notes

  1. Not all gochujang brands are gluten free. Be sure to check the label. Also, the spiciness of gochujang can vary across brands. Taste the gochujang before you add it to the dumpling filling. If it tastes too spicy, consider using my sweet chili sauce instead. To make it vegan, use sugar or agave in place of honey. 
  2. It’s better to boil more water than you need as opposed to measuring out exactly 2/3 cup of water and boiling it in the saucepan. Water evaporates during the boiling process. If you poured only 2/3 cup of water into the saucepan, you’ll likely end up with slightly less when you make the dough. 
  3. If you have a tortilla press, use it! Make sure to cover the plates with a layer of plastic so the dough doesn’t stick to it. 
  4. Oftentimes, one part of the dumpling skin is thinner than the other. Use the thinner side to create the pleats. If you find the pleating incredibly frustrating, don’t worry! Just seal up the dumpling into a half-moon shape. If you want extra flourish, you can braid the edge like I do here.

Nutrition

Serving: 4Dumplings (not pan-fried) | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.5g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 744mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 1.1g
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