Do you love dumplings but need it gluten-free just like my Gluten-Free Taro Dumplings Recipe? Gluten-free rice paper dumpling skin is the way! Fill it up with any type of filling you like, such as scrambled eggs, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, and carrots, to name a few.
What Are Rice Paper Dumplings?
Generally, dumplings are small pillows of dough with a savory filling that you can easily customize. There are many types of dumplings around the world, such as gyoza in Japan, mandu in Korea, and buuz in Mongolia. The varieties of dumplings depend on the cooking style, filling, and dumpling wrapper.
Although most dumpling wrappers are made of flour and water, some dumpling variations use a different kind of wrapper. For instance, Dan Jiao uses thin scrambled eggs and Gluten-Free Dumplings uses taro-infused dumpling skin. For this recipe, I opted for rice paper instead of the traditional dumpling wrapper to wrap the filling.
The filling is a mix of scrambled eggs, shiitake mushrooms, dried mini shrimps, vegetables, and lots of seasonings. I gave the dumplings a bit of crisp exterior and a nice golden brown color by pan-frying. Customize the filling to make it vegan or vegetarian and serve this dish as an appetizer, snack, or main meal with a savory dumpling dipping sauce.
Rice Paper Vs Dumpling Wrapper
Rice paper is completely different from a traditional dumpling wrapper mainly because of its origin and how it is made. Basically, rice paper is made from rice flour, water, and salt and is sometimes mixed with tapioca starch. It is typically super thin, stiff, and translucent.
On the other hand, dumpling wrappers are made of two key ingredients: plain wheat flour and water. However, some dumpling wrapper recipes also incorporate potato starch, salt, and egg whites for better texture.
Traditional dumplings can be folded in many ways; you can check out my guide on how to fold dumplings. They are typically cooked by steaming, deep-frying, steam-frying, or boiling.
Unlike dumpling wrappers that can be folded right away, rice paper should be soaked in water first to soften for folding. Both types of wrappers are important ingredients for dumplings to wrap the filling. What makes rice paper an excellent option is that it is gluten-free and plant-based!
Pro Tips On How To Handle Rice Paper
First time using rice paper for dumplings? If yes, it is best to read this part for tips and suggestions to properly handle rice paper. I share below some essential do’s and don’ts worth noting.
- Soak in water for a few seconds: As I have mentioned, you can only fold rice paper after dipping it in water to soften it up. I recommend dipping in cold or room-temperature water for a few seconds only. If it is dipped for too long, the rice paper becomes sticky and soggy. You don’t want it to become sticky or it won’t turn crispy when pan-fried. Warm or hot water for soaking is not ideal since it will make the rice paper too soft and tear easily, making it difficult to work with.
- Do not overfill the rice paper: I always use about 2 tablespoons of filling. Avoid overfilling it to make it easier to pan-fry and flip. Overfilling may also cause the rice paper to break and burst.
- Use two rice papers: To make the dumpling more durable, you can use two rice papers to wrap the filling. Having two layers of wrapper is highly recommended especially if you are still not used to handling rice paper.
- Use a non-stick tray or parchment paperwhile folding: This prevents the dumplings from sticking to the surface as you finish the entire batch. You can also lightly brush the tray with oil to prevent the folded dumplings from sticking. Using a wooden chopping board is also much better than using anything plastic or glass since the dumplings won’t stick easily to the surface.
- Use a non-stick pan for frying: Similar to the technique I use for creating the Crispy Dumpling Skirt, using a non-stick pan makes the cooking process much smoother. In this way, the dumplings stay intact and won’t tear off easily.
- Do not put too many dumplings in the pan: Aside from using a non-stick pan, it is also advisable to avoid overcrowding the pan to prevent them from sticking together. When the rice paper touches the other, they tend to stick together, causing it to tear when you try to separate them.
- Cover the dumplings with a damp paper towel: This prevents the dumplings from drying out and becoming too stiff. You want to keep the dumplings moist and soft before pan-frying for a crispier texture.
- Fold the dumpling the correct way: Another factor that can cause the dumplings to open and break is when it is not folded properly. For me, I folded all four sides, starting at the bottom. Fold the bottom upward, the top downward, the left side to the right, and the right side to the left.
- Do not freeze the rice paper dumplings: Although it can be frozen, I don’t really encourage it since the texture won’t be the same anymore after thawing. It won’t be as appetizing as freshly cooked, so best to consume the dumplings as soon as possible and store them in the fridge.
All About The Ingredients For Rice Paper Dumplings
Now that you know more about rice paper and how to use it correctly, let’s dive into the ingredients for this recipe. I share below some ingredient tips and suggestions to make your own perfect rice paper dumplings. Customize the filling just the way you like it!
- Rice paper: Rice paper sheets or wrappers are typically found in Asian supermarkets or in the international food aisle of your local grocery store. It is usually packed in plastic packaging and comes in round thin sheets with an embedded pattern. These may also be labeled as Thai rice papers, spring roll wrappers, or for fried spring rolls.
- Eggs: I beat two eggs and stir-fried them into scrambled eggs. This serves as my main protein. If you want to make this vegan or vegetarian, swap eggs with crumbled extra firm tofu seasoned with turmeric, black salt (for eggy taste), cumin, black pepper, soy milk, and a bit of soy sauce for extra umaminess. You can also use soy meat and more shiitake mushrooms as your source of protein.
- Shiitake mushrooms:I love shiitake mushrooms for their smokey, earthy, and ‘meaty’ It has this umaminess and irresistible texture. You can swap this with other types of mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.
- Vegetables: Add fiber and color with chopped spinach and carrots. You can also use shredded green cabbage, napa cabbage, pre-prepared coleslaw mixed vegetables, string beans, green onions, and bean sprouts.
- Dried mini shrimps: Add a hint of seafood with dried mini shrimps. These are small peeled dried shrimps with a delicious briny taste. Swap these with frozen peeled shrimps and chop them into bits.
- Seasonings: Adjust the overall taste with regular salt and black pepper powder. I also seasoned it with light soy sauce for umaminess, oyster sauce for brininess, and sesame oil for nuttiness. Swap light soy sauce with regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, tamari, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce. If you don’t have oyster sauce, use hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, kecap manis, Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce and sugar, and oyster-flavored sauce. You can also add minced garlic and ginger for a kick of pungent flavors.
How To Serve Rice Paper Dumplings
Eat rice paper dumplings solo or with a delicious dipping sauce! I prefer it with a dipping sauce to experience different tastes in one sitting. You can pair it with a sweet, spicy, or savory dipping sauce.
Some of the most common and simplest dipping sauces are soy sauce mixed with sesame oil, chili oil, chili garlic, and plain soy sauce. If you want to have a more flavorful sauce, follow my Four Dumpling Sauce Recipe. In this short recipe guide, I share how to make garlic-flavored dipping sauce, chili-infused dipping sauce, sesame dipping sauce, and hot wasabi dipping sauce.
Prepare These Ingredients And Kitchenware
Don’t forget to use a non-stick pan for pan-frying. I suggest making the filling with a large mixing bowl since you’ll need enough space to mix the ingredients well. Of course, prepare a knife and chopping board, and a bowl for dipping the rice paper.
Here are the ingredients to prepare:
- 2 beaten eggs
- 3 large shiitake mushrooms (minced)
- 50g of spinach
- 50g of carrot (shredded)
- 20g of dried mini shrimps
- Salt and black pepper (or mixed seasoning)
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of sesame oil
- Rice paper sheets
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil for the scrambled eggs; if you are using a nonstick pan, you can ignore this
Steps To Make Rice Paper Dumplings
The instructions are super easy to do. Simply make the filling, wrap it with rice paper, and pan-fry until crisp. Watch my short tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok as you make this recipe.
- Beat two eggs and stir-fry until you have scrambled eggs.
- Bring water to a boil in a pan and blanch 3 large shiitake mushrooms, spinach, and shredded carrot. Blanch for a minute or two.
- After blanching, chop the mushrooms and spinach into bits. Do not over-chop these to avoid a mushy texture for the dumplings.
- Place the scrambled eggs, chopped mushrooms, chopped spinach, and shredded carrots in a bowl.
- Add dried mini shrimps.
- Season with salt and black pepper or mixed seasoning.
- Mix in light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir well.
- Soak rice paper in water for 5 seconds.
- Place the soaked rice paper in a non-stick container and fill the center with the filling.
- Seal the dumpling. Fold the bottom upward, the top downward, the left side to the right, and the right side to the left.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the dumplings until golden on both sides. For the air-fried version, spray the dumplings with oil and air-fry for 12 minutes at 380°F, flipping the dumplings halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve while fresh and hot and pair it with a dumpling dipping sauce! If you love this dumpling recipe, try making Wu Gok 芋角 (Deep-Fried Taro Dumpling Puffs), Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings, and Shrimp Wontons.
Gluten-Free Rice Paper Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 beaten eggs
- 3 large shiitake mushrooms minced
- 50 g of spinach
- 50 g of carrot shredded
- 20 g of dried mini shrimps
- Salt and black pepper or mixed seasoning
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of sesame oil
- Rice paper sheets
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil for the scrambled eggs; if you are using a nonstick pan you can ignore this
Instructions
- Beat two eggs and stir-fry until you have scrambled eggs.
- Bring water to a boil in a pan and blanch 3 large shiitake mushrooms, spinach, and shredded carrot. Blanch for a minute or two.
- After blanching, chop the mushrooms and spinach into bits. Do not over-chop these to avoid a mushy texture for the dumplings.
- Place the scrambled eggs, chopped mushrooms, chopped spinach, and shredded carrots in a bowl.
- Add dried mini shrimps.
- Season with salt and black pepper or mixed seasoning.
- Mix in light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir well.
- Soak rice paper in water for 5 seconds.
- Place the soaked rice paper in a non-stick container and fill the center with the filling.
- Seal the dumpling. Fold the bottom upward, the top downward, the left side to the right, and the right side to the left.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the dumplings until golden on both sides. For the air-fried version, spray the dumplings with oil and air-fry for 12 minutes at 380°F, flipping the dumplings halfway through the cooking time.
