Shu Mai done VEGAN! Happy Chinese New Year!

FAIR WARNING! This recipe is not necessarily for the Impoverished Vegan, as it is relatively expensive. As of late, and in an attempt to recreate the traditional meals of a specific culture, I hereby submit a recipe that would not normally be vegan. This is a blog post attempting to recreate a meat-filled dish without the meat. It will be 100% vegan. As a traditional Chinese dumpling, I had never consumed Shu Mai or Siu Mai, even as an omnivore. These pork, chicken, or seafood dumplings are served for the Chinese New Year on January 31. Yes, I have had Crab Rangoon or Crab Wontons, as has every civilised human in the modern world. When I joined the exclusive community known as foodies+ on Google+, I had NO idea they were definitely a force to be reckoned with. They are a super active community that supports and encourages new recipes and ideas! JUST MY NICHE! Be sure to check out the page and plus one them! I fit in very well there and am very proud to announce my first commissioned piece as a member of foodies+! Introducing, VEGAN ShuMai Chicken and Prawn Dumplings! 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken (meatless grill strips)      ($3.99)
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms                         ($1.99)
• 2 tbsp. shrimp seasoning                          ($0.21)
• 2 cups no-chicken broth                             ($0.35)
• 2 tbsp. woodear mushrooms                   ($1.00)
• ½ tbsp. fresh shredded ginger                 ($0.17)
• 1 tbsp. scallion root (white part)              ($0.12)
• 1 carrot, finely peeled                               ($0.10)
• ⅛ tbsp. sesame oil                                    ($0.01)
• 3 dashes white pepper                             ($0.01)
• ½ tbsp. corn starch                                   ($0.02)
• 2 dashes salt                                             ($0.01)
• peas for garnish                                        ($0.05)
• vegan wonton wrappers                         ($3.50)
• hoisin garlic sauce                                  ($1.50)

Preparation:

At first, I tried to make my own wonton wrap because it was difficult to find a vegan version without egg. It failed. It was exceedingly dry and fell apart extremely easily. I eventually stumbled upon a wrap that just so happen to not contain egg! It was slightly smaller than a wonton wrap but that was fine with me. 

For the shrimp, I used shiitake mushrooms marinated in no-chicken broth and shrimp seasoning; the chewiness of the mushrooms imitates actual shrimp. For the mushrooms, I had to rehydrate dried woodear mushrooms by soaking them in no-chicken broth and I added some shrimp seasoning to these mushrooms as well. Simple Truth makes a wonderful frozen chicken breast imitation. Strain the mushrooms after about an hour. Thaw the frozen chicken breast strips. Place them in a food processor with the mushrooms, ¼ cup no-chicken broth, ginger, scallion root, carrots, sesame oil, white pepper, corn starch, and salt. Puree until finely chopped or desired consistency. Heat the leftover marinate from the mushrooms in a pan on medium until it starts to bubble. Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper and wrap up tightly. Make a few and place them in the pot a few at a time. Steam for at least 5 minutes. Garnish with the peas, a few sliced carrots, and hoisin garlic sauce! 

As healthy as I try to eat, I still love fried food! I had an urge to throw these dumplings in some hot oil and fry them up! It was a success! I turned the traditional dumpling into an Americanized treat! Eastern tradition meets Western gluttony with these fried Shu Mai. I actually went a step further and topped them with my vegan cheese sauce too. Enjoy! 

See? They even somewhat look like prawns... haha

This broth has a wonderful, deep flavor, without the meat!
The woodear mushrooms have a captivating suble taste.

Soak for about one hour and they will absorb the liquid and rehydrate

Soak these for one hour as well and they absorb that shrimpy sea flavor

My ginger was a little old so the skin was tough to peel off but
there is nothing like fresh ginger to kick start any recipe 

Beautiful, natural vegetables

Pulse, pulse, scrape down the sides, pulse, pulse

Looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, does not contain chicken!

Be careful not to overfill the dumplings or they will fall apart

Soft dumplings

FRIED DUMPLINGS! 

WITH VEGAN CHEESE!

Happy Year of the Horse! May it be filled with good fortune and good eats. Cruelty free eats that will reduce your cholesterol to zero, I may add. Even if you still consume meat and dairy, try this recipe out and you will fall in love with vegan food!