To start, while it’s not absolutely necessary, it’s a good idea to first freeze, defrost and squeeze out any moisture from the tofu before using it. This will give it a firmer, more “meaty” texture, which will also help the filling adhere together better. Adding a cup of cooked quinoa as well can help to give the dumplings more texture (and protein) as well.

Next, prepare the Roasted Shiitake Mushrooms. Alternatively, the mushrooms can simply be tossed with a mixture of soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil (2 tbsp of each), and 1 clove of garlic. If the mushrooms are quite large, they can also be sliced first and then tossed with the sauce before roasting.

Next, add the edamame beans to a pot of boiling salted water. Let cook for 2 minutes, or until they are just cooked through, but not mushy.

Note: Instead of the minced garlic and ginger, use 3 to 4 tablespoons of the Garlic-Ginger Paste instead.

To make the filling, heat a medium-fry pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the asparagus and a good pinch of salt and white pepper.

Let the asparagus cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and then add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño—let cook for about 30 seconds and then turn off the heat and set aside. If using, add the truffle oil at this point. While it might seem odd to use truffle oil, it happens to go particularly well with the flavors in these dumplings.

Next, in a food processor, first, pulse the water chestnuts and then remove from the food processor and set aside until later.

Next, pulse together the edamame beans and shiitake mushrooms. Remove and set aside.

Next, add the tofu to the food processor and pulse once or twice to break it up a bit more.

Depending on the size of your food processor and the amount you are making etc. you may want to do this in batches. The reason why we are removing ingredients as we pulse them is so that we don’t end up with a one-dimensional mushy mixture. The ingredients do need to be blended enough so the mixture holds together when filling the dumplings; however, there should be recognizable bits of vegetables in the mixture.

For the dumpling assembly, gather the bowl of filling, a small cup of water, the dumpling wrappers, and a baking tray. Lightly sprinkle some cornstarch over the baking tray, or use a piece of parchment, to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the tray.

To assemble the dumplings, place about a tablespoon of dumpling filling in the center of a dumpling wrapper. We find a 1" ice cream scoop works particularly well for this.

At this point, moisten your finger with a bit of water and wet one half of the edge of the wrapper. Next, fold the wrapper into a taco shape and then starting with one corner of the skin that is facing you, begin crimping around the edge of the wrapper until the dumpling is sealed.

Once done, the dumplings can be frozen on the tray and then transferred to a freezer bag once frozen—or they can be cooked immediately.

There are a few ways to cook dumplings. We prefer the boil and fry method as it ensures the dumpling wrappers are cooked all the way through. It also gives the bottoms a crisper finish.

To boil and fry the dumplings, add the dumplings to the boiling salted water and let cook until they float to the top. Once done, use a flat strainer or slotted spoon to remove the dumplings from the water. Transfer the dumplings directly to a frying pan that has been preheated to medium-high and oiled. Let the dumplings cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown on the bottom.

To fry and steam the dumplings, heat a frypan over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the dumplings. Cook the dumplings until golden onto the bottom. At this point, add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan, cover and reduce the heat. Allow the dumplings to steam for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are heated through.

To simply steam the dumplings, use a bamboo steamer basket or your favorite steamer. Bring water to a boil, place the dumplings in the steamer basket and steam over the water for about 3 minutes or until they are heated through. Remove from heat and serve with the Asian Dipping Sauce.