Corn Dumplings in Coconut Broth

January 29, 2022
Wicked
Recipes

Dumplings are one of our favorite finger foods to pass around. They’re also perfect as a first course in a small bath of flavorful broth. These dumplings work with either fresh or frozen corn. The kernels are pureed to make a creamy filling, and some are left whole for texture. The secret ingredient is freeze-dried corn. It really bumps up the corn flavor. When you nestle these corn dumplings in a small bowl of rich coconut-ginger-lemongrass broth, it makes a sensual little starter. Check out the video to see some serving options!

Ingredients

1/4 cup (40 g) raw cashews
2 cups (120 g) freeze-dried corn
2 1/2 cups (425 g) thawed frozen sweet corn (or fresh)
About 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock
3 Tbsp vegan butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
Sea salt
6 green onions
1 to 1 1/2 packages (12 oz/340 g each) round eggless dumpling skins (about 3 1/2-inch/9-cm diameter) or Homemade Dumpling Skins
About 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Spray oil for steaming, or cabbage leaves or bamboo leaves
4-6 cups (1-1.5 L) Coconut Broth
Cilantro, Thai basil, or more green onion, for garnish

Notes:

We like Twin Dragon eggless round gyoza (dumpling) wrappers, which are about 3 1/2 inches (9 cm) in diameter.
Look for freeze-dried corn in the grain aisle of your market. We’re partial to the taste and texture of Karen’s Naturals freeze-dried corn.
Add a few drops of chile oil to each serving for more kick. Or use sliced fresh chiles.

*This recipe was adapted from the Wicked Healthy Cookbook. Click here to learn more and pick up a copy.

Instructions

Soak the cashews in water to cover at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and rinse. You’ll add these later to the filling.
When ready, grind the freeze-dried corn in a blender to a fine powder. You should have about 1 cup (120 g) powder. Remove from blender and set aside.
Add half of the sweet corn kernels, then all the soaked cashews, stock, butter, and garlic to the blender. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt. Puree the mixture until very smooth, about a minute, then pour the puree into a mixing bowl.
Thinly slice the green onions (whites and greens) and stir them into the puree along with the remaining sweet corn and the corn powder. The powder is what thickens up the filling. Mix thoroughly, then cover the bowl and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Yes, you can make the filling a day ahead!
To assemble the dumplings, set the bowl of filling, a small cup of water, your dumpling skins, and a baking sheet on a work surface. Scatter some cornstarch over the baking sheet to help prevent sticking.
For each dumpling, mound a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of the dumpling skin. Dip your finger in the water and moisten the entire edge of the skin. For a shumai-style shape, fold one edge over the filling so it meets the other edge and makes a half-moon shape. Gently pinch the edges together to seal, then pinch the sides up to the top and twist gently to make a small round purse. You should have enough filling to make 30 to 40 dumplings.
These dumplings are best steamed: Spray a steamer basket with oil or line with cabbage leaves or bamboo leaves to prevent sticking. Put the dumplings in the steamer in batches, place over simmering water, cover, and steam until the dumplings are soft, tender, and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes.
Gather 6 to 8 small serving bowls and place 4 or 5 dumplings in the center of each. Or use smaller bowls to serve appetizers. Pour about 4 Tbsp broth around the dumplings in each bowl so a little broth comes up the sides of the dumplings. Garnish with cilantro, Thai basil, or chopped green onion and serve.