Vegetarian Dumplings - with Shanghai Bok Choy (青江菜素馅饺子 Qing Jiang Cai Su Xian Jiao Zi)

Wash the Shanghai bok choy thoroughly. Cut them into small pieces. Wipe off the any dirt from the shiitake mushrooms and chop them into small pieces as well. Mince the green onions. Add everything to a large mixing bowl.

Peel the carrots and chop them into small pieces or sticks. Heat a well seasoned skillet under medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the chopped carrots. Gently pan fry the carrots for 2 minutes until the carrots are semi soft. Turn off the heat and leave the carrots to cool slightly.

Break the 3 large eggs into a medium mixing bowl. Use a pair of chopstick, a fork, or a whisk to mix the egg whites and yokes together. Mix well. Heat a medium non-stick pan under medium heat. When the pan is warm, pour in the egg mixture. Swirl around the egg mixture so it forms a big, round, and flat pancake. Cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes. The egg pancake does not need to be perfect at all since it will be chopped up later. Lay the egg pancake on the cutting board and cut it into small dices.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns. When the Sichuan peppercorns change color to dark red, take them out. Save the Sichuan-peppercorn-infused oil. For stronger flavor, grind the cooked Sichuan peppercorns into tiny pieces.

Add the semi-cooked carrots and diced eggs to the same large mixing bowl as the Shanghai bok choy and other veggies. Then add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon of table salt), 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, the Sichuan peppercorn infused oil, and the ground Sichuan peppercorns. Using a pair of chopsticks or a large spoon, start slowly mixing everything in a circular motion either clockwise or counterclockwise. Keep mixing in one direction only. It only takes a few minutes.

Follow steps 5-8 from my other dumpling post for detailed instructions on how to fold the dumplings (the pleated way) and how to cook the dumplings (two cooking methods). It is a little harder to fold vegetable dumplings because the vegetable filling is not as "sticky" as ones with meat. So use a little less filling at first to get the hang of it.