Vegetable Jiaozi (Chinese Dumplings)
Photo: Charles Chen / Unsplash
Plump, tender dumplings filled with napa cabbage, shiitake, carrot, firm tofu and garlic chives, seasoned with ginger, soy and sesame. Boil or steam them and dip in black vinegar with chilli oil.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Salt the cabbage
Toss the cabbage with the salt and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands — this stops the filling going soggy.
Mix the filling
Combine the cabbage, shiitake, carrot, tofu, chives and ginger. Season with the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper and cornflour and mix well.
Fill the dumplings
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Fold the edges
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Cook
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Serve
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Salt the cabbage
Toss the cabbage with the salt and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands — this stops the filling going soggy.
Mix the filling
Combine the cabbage, shiitake, carrot, tofu, chives and ginger. Season with the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper and cornflour and mix well.
Fill the dumplings
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fold the edges
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Jiaozi have been eaten in China for well over a thousand years; legend credits their invention to the Han dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing, who is said to have wrapped warming herbs in dough to protect villagers' ears from frostbite.
In northern China, families gather to fold dumplings together on the eve of Lunar New Year, and vegetarian fillings are traditional on the first day of the new year in many Buddhist households.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Folding dumplings is a family ritual, and their crescent shape — like an old gold ingot — is a symbol of wealth for the year ahead.
💡 Fun Fact
Some families hide a single coin inside one dumpling at New Year: whoever finds it is said to enjoy good fortune all year.
Northern China
39.90°N, 116.40°E
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