#fivespice

Vegan Sticky Rice Mushroom Shumai w/ Homemade Wrappers 

Wrappers:

2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup boiling water

Filling:

2 cups uncooked sticky rice (aka sweet rice, glutinous rice)

1 Tbsp. oil

15 dried shiitake mushrooms (cleaned, soaked in warm water until softened, and diced)

2 shallots, minced

2 scallions, chopped

1 Tbsp. shaoxing wine

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. mushroom soy sauce (dark soy sauce)

⅛ tsp. five-spice powder

½ tsp. sesame oil

¼ cup warm water

¾ cup frozen peas

Start by making the dough. Mix the flour, salt and boiling water together in a mixing bowl, handle with care and knead until you get a smooth dough. Put in a bowl covered with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for 1-2 hours. You can also cover it tightly and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight if you want to make it ahead of time.

To make the filling, cook the sticky rice. You can either steam it (full instructions on how to pre-cook sticky rice using a soaking and steaming method here) or follow your rice cooker's instructions if it has a special setting for sticky rice. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat, and add the mushrooms and shallots. Stir-fry for a few minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Add the scallions, shaoxing wine, salt, soy sauces, five spice powder, sesame oil, and water. Cook for another minute. Stir in the cooked rice and peas. Turn off the heat.

Divide the dough into four pieces. Working one piece at a time (cover the rest of the dough with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out), roll the dough into a long rope and cut it into small pieces about the size of an acorn. This method is similar to the one we used for dumpling wrappers.

To assemble the shumai, first prepare the steamer, lining it with a layer of damp cheese cloth, or by brushing it with oil to prevent sticking.

Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out each piece of dough into a small circle about 3.5 inches in diameter. No worries if it’s not perfect. In this case, uneven edges are encouraged. They’ll give you a nice ruffled edge when assembled.

Place a bit of the sticky rice mixture in the middle, and squeeze the wrapper around it to form the shape you want. Place them in the steamer about an inch apart.

Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork Belly Ribs (Char Siu)

⅓ hoisin sauce

⅓ cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. chinese shaoxing wine (rice vinegar or a dry sherry can be used instead)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

¾ tsp. red food coloring (optional for that beautiful red color)

½ tsp. chinese five spice powder

6 pork belly/spare ribs

1 scallion, to garnish

Extra Glaze:

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. chinese wine (shaoxing -- or dry sherry)

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. minced garlic

¼ tsp. chinese five spice powder

¼ tsp. red food colouring

Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, wine, honey, sugar, garlic, colouring (if using) and spice powder in a shallow bowl. Whisk well to combine. Pour half of the sauce into a jug and reserve for later. Add the pork into the bowl with the remaining sauce. Rotate to cover completely and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours, or cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.

After marinading, preheat oven to grill/broil settings on medium heat (176°C | 350°F). Drain pork and discard the marinade. Line a baking pan with baking/parchment paper or aluminium foil. Place pork onto pan and grill/broil for 30 minutes on one side, basting two or three times with the reserved marinade. Rotate with tongs and baste again with the marinade twice again while grilling/broiling.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

If you like additional glaze, combine all of the (extra) glaze ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 5-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened (keep your eye on it as it can burn easily if the heat is too high). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

With the warmth of Chinese five-spice powder and the comfort of soft rice noodles, this Five Spice Turkey Noodle Soup is a tasty take on the classic turkey noodle soup. Great for a cozy meal that fills you up!

Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey. 8 cups chicken broth. 2 cups wide rice noodles. 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms. 1 cup shredded napa cabbage. 4 green onions, chopped. 3 cloves garlic, minced. 1 tablespoon ginger, grated. 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder. 2 tablespoons soy sauce. 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions: In a large pot, brown the ground turkey over medium heat. Add minced garlic and grated ginger, saut for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add sliced shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, and green onions. Stir in Chinese five-spice powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. In a separate pot, cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Once noodles are cooked, drain and add them to the soup. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until noodles are heated through. Serve hot, garnished with extra green onions if desired.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes