Christmas dumpling roses with chestnut tofu filling • veggies

With these wonderful ones vegan dumpling roses You too can surprise your loved ones at Christmas. The delicate pasta sheets are served with a nutty, aromatic chestnut tofu filling prepared and are wonderfully aromatic. Since they are fine and light, they are wonderful as Starter for a festive vegan Christmas menu. I serve them with fruity cranberry jam, roasted sesame seeds and a few fresh sprouts or lettuce leaves.

Dumplings unite the culinary world

Dumplings are a fascinating example of this global diversity of a dish. Because basically, dumplings are very simple filled dumplings and almost every culture has its own unique way of preparing them. In China they will Jiaozi called, in Japan they are called gyoza, in Poland you can Pierogi snack, in Germany Swabian Maultaschen eat, in Italy ravioli enjoy, in Nepal Momos munching, in Argentina with empanadas access or in Turkey Manti enjoy. This list could go on forever. Because Almost every region has its own particular preference for dumplings, each with a traditional filling. But the way they are steamed and prepared in this recipe, they belong to the Asian tradition: heartily stuffed, briefly steamed and shaped into small roses.

Tip: For our dough flowers, I chose ready-made dumpling dough sheets from the Asian market. You can find them in almost every Asian market among the frozen goods. You can also easily prepare the dough yourself if you want. To do this, simply mix 380 g of household flour, 150 ml of water and a pinch of salt. Then knead the dough, divide it into small portions and roll it out very thinly. Cover with a damp kitchen towel until ready to use.

But I have to admit: I was a bit lazy and bought ready-made frozen dumpling sheets and even at Christmas, cooking doesn’t have to become stressful. So just keep an eye out in the Asian store. I always have the dumpling sheets in the freezer because they last forever and you can spontaneously make delicious little dumplings, which are also great for using up leftovers in the fridge.

Festive filling

A good Dumpling filling should be nice and hearty and have a lot of flavor. Tofu is particularly suitable as a filling if it is strongly seasoned and well fried. Plenty of onion, garlic, a bit of carrot and the spiciness of a spring onion should not be missing. But I also give the filling a Christmas touch with cooked, crumbled chestnuts.

Enjoy chestnuts

You probably know hot roasted chestnuts from the Christmas market. But you can In almost all supermarkets it is already pre-cooked and peeled buy. In this form they are one perfect addition to Christmas dishes. Chestnuts are chestnuts that grow in extremely spiny shells on chestnut trees in Europe, Asia and North America harvested from September become. They are available seasonally until the end of December. Christmas is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the mild nuts with their creamy texture. Their sweet taste and versatility make them a popular ingredient in autumn and winter cuisine. Whether as a snack while walking in the forest or in more elaborate dishes – chestnuts are a culinary enrichment and ideal for our Christmas dumplings.

From pasta leaf to rose

So spectacular our delicate pasta flowers look like, They are that easy to make. You simply need it round dumpling sheets with a diameter of approx. 9-10 cm. Unfortunately, I only found square dumpling leaves in the Asian market, so I simply cut them out with a glass after defrosting

To form the dumpling roses, simply place 3 round dumpling leaves next to each other, slightly overlapping. Then put the filling in the middle and use your finger to moisten the edges all around with water. Then, starting from the top dumpling sheet, close the dough sheets over the filling and press the dough down. Then flatten the closed dumpling bags slightly, moisten them and roll them up into a rose. And you have already prepared these wonderful dumpling roses, which you now only need to steam briefly. This preparation is extremely simple, and the result is spectacular.

I also made a recipe video for this recipe on Instagram. There you can see exactly how I prepare the dumpling roses. You can watch the video here.

Be careful when steaming

Asian dumplings are becoming traditional steamed in bamboo basketst. You can also buy such bamboo steamers in almost any Asian market or online* and then simply place them on a pot.

However, since I didn’t get a bamboo steamer, I simply my normal steaming use used. This also works wonderfully. But please note two things:

1. Include the bamboo basket or steamer perforated baking paper out of. I simply cut baking paper to size and pierced it several times with a wooden skewer so that the steam could rise through the baking paper.
2. Otherwise, dumplings not only tend to stick to the steamer, but also to each other, you should make sure that they are Do not touch the dumplings in the steamer tray. But you can put them close because they won’t open.

Now it’s yours Christmas dumpling fun nothing stands in the way anymore. The small, aromatic dumplings can be prepared in a flash. Of course, you can also make the filling the day before. The muted ones However, you should serve the dumplings themselves immediately after steaming, otherwise they will dry out quickly. Drizzle them with a little sesame or lemon oil and a little soy sauce and serve them on fruity cranberry jam. Your guests will love them.

I am already whole looking forward to your feedback. Feel free to write to me right here in the comments. It’s wonderful if you share your cooking experience with me and others. Because we all learn from each other. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram and I would be very happy if you subscribe to my channels. This way you always stay up to date and get lots of insights into my kitchen, cooking tips, recipe ideas and daily suggestions. Warmest regards, Lea

Ingredients (10 Dumpling Roses – 2-3 servings)

Aside from that: A steaming grain/steaming insert or bamboo steaming baskets and (perforated) baking paper

Preparation (25 minutes preparation time + 2x 10 minutes steaming time)

Optionally, you can of course also add mushrooms, shiitake or zucchini to the filling instead of chestnuts. A little smoked tofu would also be good. It is important that the filling has a lot of flavor.

Your Christmas starter can look so beautiful with just a few simple steps. Have fun and enjoy trying it out.

Merry vegan Christmas, your Lea