Kimchi Mushroom Mandu (Vegan)

### Step 1: Prepare the rice noodles: Do as the package instructions — usually this involves soaking in room temperature water (around 10 minutes) and boiling in water (around 3-5 minutes). Roughly chop the noodles into 0.3 - 0.5 cm long strands. Set aside and prepare the rest of the filling.

Prepare the rice noodles: Do as the package instructions — usually this involves soaking in room temperature water (around 10 minutes) and boiling in water (around 3-5 minutes). Roughly chop the noodles into 0.3 - 0.5 cm long strands. Set aside and prepare the rest of the filling.

### Step 2: Prepare the filling: Once you've chopped all the vegetables as instructed, start by heating up the sesame oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, yellow onions, and fry until aromatic and lightly caramelised, around 3-4 minutes. Then, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until its moisture is all released. Follow this with the chopped kimchi, soy sauce, spring onions, gochugaru, and cook again until most of the moisture evaporates. Finish the filling by stirring in the rice noodles. Adjust seasoning with soy sauce as needed.

Prepare the filling: Once you've chopped all the vegetables as instructed, start by heating up the sesame oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, yellow onions, and fry until aromatic and lightly caramelised, around 3-4 minutes. Then, add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until its moisture is all released. Follow this with the chopped kimchi, soy sauce, spring onions, gochugaru, and cook again until most of the moisture evaporates. Finish the filling by stirring in the rice noodles. Adjust seasoning with soy sauce as needed.

### Step 3: Prepare the Dipping Sauce: Simply mix all the listed ingredients in a small dish. I like to do this ahead of time to let all the flavours infuse.

Prepare the Dipping Sauce: Simply mix all the listed ingredients in a small dish. I like to do this ahead of time to let all the flavours infuse.

### Step 4: Make the dumplings: Remember to flour your hands as well as the work surface to prevent sticking. Fold the dumplings as you would like — for mandu wrappers that are palm-sized, I usually go for around 2 tablespoons filling per dumpling. I love this tutorial by Elaine Luo for a variety of dumpling folds. I did her pinch-braid fold.

Make the dumplings: Remember to flour your hands as well as the work surface to prevent sticking. Fold the dumplings as you would like — for mandu wrappers that are palm-sized, I usually go for around 2 tablespoons filling per dumpling. I love this tutorial by Elaine Luo for a variety of dumpling folds. I did her pinch-braid fold.

### Step 5: To Pan-Fry the Dumplings: Heat some vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat and place the dumplings in — be sure not to overcrowd the pan!! For this recipe, I fried the dumplings in two batches. Fry the dumplings flat-side down for 4 minutes first, then pour a cornflour slurry (1 tablespoon of cornflour to 3 tablespoons of water) over the dumplings. Remember to save half of the cornflour slurry if you're frying the dumplings in two batches. Quickly cover the pan with a lid (but leave a small hole if the lid doesn't already have one) and cook for 8-9 minutes. Near the end of the cooking, you can remove the lid and turn up the heat to achieve extra browning.

To Pan-Fry the Dumplings: Heat some vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat and place the dumplings in — be sure not to overcrowd the pan!! For this recipe, I fried the dumplings in two batches. Fry the dumplings flat-side down for 4 minutes first, then pour a cornflour slurry (1 tablespoon of cornflour to 3 tablespoons of water) over the dumplings. Remember to save half of the cornflour slurry if you're frying the dumplings in two batches. Quickly cover the pan with a lid (but leave a small hole if the lid doesn't already have one) and cook for 8-9 minutes. Near the end of the cooking, you can remove the lid and turn up the heat to achieve extra browning.