Name: Yachae-mandu (Vegetable Dumplings)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 36 to 40 dumplings, 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 250g napa cabbage, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, for salting cabbage; 200g firm tofu, drained; 80g dried dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato glass noodles); 120g fresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms, finely chopped; 80g buchu (Korean chives), finely chopped; 1/2 medium onion, finely minced; 1 medium carrot, finely grated; 2 scallions, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated; 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, lightly crushed; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more only if needed; 36 to 40 round mandu wrappers; Small bowl of water, for sealing; 2 tablespoons neutral oil, for pan-frying; 1/2 cup water, for pan-frying; 3 tablespoons soy sauce, for dipping sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, for dipping sauce; 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), optional, for dipping sauce; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for dipping sauce; 1 scallion, thinly sliced, for dipping sauce

Question 1

How do I keep vegetable mandu from getting soggy?

Accepted Answer

Keep yachae mandu from getting soggy by removing moisture before folding. Salt 250g finely chopped napa cabbage for 20 minutes, then squeeze it to about 150g. Press 200g firm tofu until it feels like damp crumbs, and dry-cook chopped mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes.

Question 2

Can I freeze uncooked yachae mandu?

Accepted Answer

Freeze uncooked yachae mandu in one layer on a parchment-lined sheet tray until hard, then transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Cook frozen mandu directly from the freezer without thawing so the wrappers stay intact.

Question 3

How long do I pan fry Korean vegetable dumplings?

Accepted Answer

Pan fry Korean vegetable dumplings over medium heat in 1 tablespoon neutral oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms turn golden. Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until crisp again.

Question 4

What can I substitute for buchu in vegetable mandu?

Accepted Answer

Substitute a smaller amount of garlic chives or scallions for buchu in vegetable mandu. Buchu gives the filling a clean onion-garlic edge, so do not double the garlic to replace it. Extra garlic overpowers the mild cabbage, tofu, mushroom, and dangmyeon filling.

Question 5

How do I boil fresh or frozen mandu?

Accepted Answer

Boil fresh yachae mandu in gently boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dumplings float and the wrappers look tender and slightly translucent. Boil frozen mandu for 7 to 8 minutes. Keep the water gentle so the wrappers do not burst.

Question 6

Why do my mandu wrappers tear when I fold them?

Accepted Answer

Mandu wrappers tear when the vegetable filling is too wet, overfilled, or sealed with trapped air. Use 1 generous tablespoon filling per wrapper, press out air before sealing, and keep finished mandu from touching on a parchment-lined tray. Cook any torn dumpling immediately instead of patching it.

Culinary Explorer

Yachae-mandu (Vegetable Dumplings)

Ingredients

napa cabbage

kosher salt

firm tofu

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
napa cabbagefinely chopped	250g
kosher saltfor salting cabbage	1 teaspoon
firm tofudrained	200g