In Central Asia traditional dumplings are called “Manti”. Originally manti were filled with meat. According to Wikipedia the name comes from the Chinese word “mantou” which means “stuffed head”. Creepy, right? In general, Central Asian cuisine is described as predominantly meat-based, with few vegetables. But there are some gems for vegans too!
Tips to make dough based on whole wheat flour
What makes my recipe different, is that I use whole wheat flour for the dough. At the beginning of my vegan journey, I strongly resisted whole wheat flour. It seemed to be so difficult to use, unplastic, rough and ugly. Operantly I just needed time to adopt it and learn how to handle it.
Whole wheat flour absorbs water slowly and the dough needs to set aside for a while to become elastic. For dumplings, I make the dough using hot water in a 2:1 ratio. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say that this ratio will be ideal for any type of whole wheat flour. Flour behaviour may vary depending on the grind and type. But even if more (or less) water is required, the deviation should not be too large. At the beginning of kneading it may seem that there is definitely not enough water, but if you thoroughly knead the dough, everything will work out. As I mentioned before, it is not that whole wheat flour requires more water – it absorbs water slowly, so do the kneading thoroughly and patiently.
Oil also gives elasticity to the dough, and I’m not talking about adding oil directly into the dough mix. I add oil after I finish kneading. I divide the dough into the required number of parts and pour oil on top. This technique helps a lot to achieve the necessary elasticity. I advise you not to skip this step! Also, I roll out the dough without flour, using a bit of oil instead to prevent the dough sticking to the surface. Thickness must be about 2-3 mm.
For the filling I use the classic combination of potatoes, pumpkin, onions and season it with dill, a spoonful of oil (which isn’t necessary, though) and black pepper. I wrap it up and steam lazy dumplings for 40 minutes in a steamer.
Serving
Since lazy dumplings with pumpkin mostly consist of carbs, I like to pair them with some legumes for nutritional balance. One of the favorite options is chickpeas in tomato sauce. It literally takes 7 minutes to prepare, and complements lazy dumplings very well. You can use vegan mayonnaise and / or hot sauce instead if you wish. Generally, lady dumplings are pretty high in calories as they are (without side dish).
Central-Asian Lazy Dumplings with Pumpkin (vegan)
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup flour whole grain
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tbsp. hot water
- 2 tsp oil olive/ coconut
Filling
- 200 g potatoes
- 150 g onions
- 200 g pumpkin
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- salt optional / to taste
- 2 tbsp dill chopped, optional
- 2 tsp oil olive/ coconut
For serving (protein-rich option)
- 1 tbsp oil olive/ coconut
- 200 g chickpeas canned or pre-cooked
- 1 medium onion
- 60 g broccoli
- 50 g corn frozen
- 50 g green peas frozen
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 0.5 tsp turmeric optional
- 0.5 tsp chili peppers
- salt optional
Instructions
Lazy Dumplings
- Combine flour, salt and hot water and knead the dough using spatula at first and then continue by hands. Divide it into 2 equal parts. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil on top of the dough, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Dice vegetables and combine in a large bowl with spices and fresh dill.
- Prepare a steamer: boil water in a saucepan.
- Roll one part of dough out on the oiled surface into a thin oval sheet. The size is approximately 40 cm long and 30 cm wide.
- Distribute a quarter of the filling on the rolled dough and wrap up the roll. Form a snail / ring and send your lazy dumpling to the steamer.
- Do the same with the remaining dough and filling.
- Lazy dumplings need about 40 minutes to be cooked. It is good to serve it with spicy sauce, vegan sour cream, mayo, or chickpeas fried with vegetables and tomato paste.
Chickpeas for serving
- Preheat the pen, add a bit of oil and fry the onions until golden brown. Add green peas and corn, fry for 3-4 minutes and add chickpeas, spices, tomato paste and broccoli. Stew for another 2 minutes, until broccoli changes it's color. Once broccoli turns dark green, you're done. Enjoy your meal!
Nutrition facts
Bamboo Steamer
  | I am using bamboo steamer right now, which we bought after moving to Cyprus. We ordered it on Amazon. I like how light and compact it is. Very convenient to use, if you have a small family of two. When I cook in it, it smells of wood in the room. This is a bit unusual at first, but it does not affect the flavour of the food any way. |
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Have a wonderful day!
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Yummy!!