Rice Paper Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup brewed PuEhr tea chilled
• 1 cup finely shredded cabbage and carrots
• 1/3 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tsp garlic, grated
• 3 scallions, diced
• 4 tbsp avocado oil, divided
• ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 10 pieces rice paper, Round 22cm (8.67 inch) per sheet

For the dumpling dipping sauce:

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp sriracha sauce, optional
• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

Make ahead: Soak chopped cabbage and carrots in chilled tea for 30 minutes. Remove from tea and continue with recipe below.

Preheat a large saute pan over medium until it feels warm, add 1.5 tbsp oil. Saute the garlic, ginger, and scallions with a pinch of salt until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

Add the cabage, carrots, and mushrooms . Season with ¼ tsp salt, and sesame oil. Saute until the vegetables sweat a bit but not mushy and still crisp, about 3 minutes.

Keep the vegetables crispy and not watery. Set them aside to cool to room temperature before wrapping.

Prepare the rice paper:

• Dip the rice paper in a large bowl of cold water for only a few seconds. Do not oversoak the rice sheet. It should still be quite firm as the rice paper continues to soften out of the water. Lightly moisten your work surface so that the rice paper sheets won’t stick to the surface.

Fold the dumplings:

• Add a little more than 1 tablespoon of the filling to the center of the rice paper sheet. Fold the dumpling by bringing the bottom-half up to cover the filling, bring the left-side up and over to the center, and right-side up and over to the center. Roll the dumpling from bottom-up (away from you) to make an envelope-shape.
• If you use a tray or big plate to hold the dumplings, brush the tray with a thin layer of oil so they won’t stick to the bottom. And lightly cover the dumplings with a dam

Pan-fry the dumplings:

• Preheat a ceramic or non-stick large skillet over medium heat, until it feels warm. Add 1.5 tbsp oil. Pan fry the dumplings in 2 separate batches so they won’t stick together and are easier to flip. Pan fry the first side for 3 minutes and flip side for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Repeat the process for the second batch, add more oil, if needed.