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To make these manti, it’s helpful to have a long and slender rolling pin like the Uzbeki or Indian kind—or a pasta maker. If you don’t have either of these, or prefer to roll out by hand with your regular rolling pin, try doing so in batches or it can be very difficult to conquer the entire large flat sheet of dough. And if you’d rather not work with dough at all, substitute square wonton wrappers from the store.

Try to get your hands on cumin seeds from Uzbekistan, which are the small black ones that tend to have a stronger flavor. They’re so small, in fact, they don’t need to be ground. The Turkish ones will be larger.

This recipe calls for vegan ground beef, but you can use tofu instead, if that’s more readily available. Just be sure to squeeze all the moisture out through a cheesecloth, or first microwave the tofu to sap it of its moisture. You don’t want to weigh down the manti wrappers with too much liquid. —Dakota Kim

Directions

1. Make the dough: Beat one egg in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ cups water, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and stir. Then add one half-cup of flour at a time, until you’ve added the 6 cups of flour total. The texture of your manti should not be sticky. If it’s sticky, add another quarter to half-cup of flour.
2. Separate the dough into two equal pieces so they’re easier to knead. On a flat surface, knead the two balls dough for 5 to 7 minutes each. When the dough balls have reached a smooth consistency, place them back in the bowl and cover with a cloth and set aside for half an hour to rest. Meanwhile, make the manti filling and topping.
3. In the large bowl of a food processor, add the squash and potatoes in batches and pulse until coarsely chopped. Place the chopped squash and potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and to this mixture add the diced onion. To this, add the vegan ground beef or crumbled tofu, salt, pepper, sesame oil, water, ground coriander, cumin, and garlic. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. In a sauté pan over high heat, heat the sesame oil. Add the sliced onion and the salt and stir. Sauté on high for a couple minutes, then reduce to low. Cook the onions until nearly translucent, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring periodically. (If the pan gets too dry, add additional splashes of oil or water as needed.) Once the onions have become translucent, turn off the heat, add the gochujang, and stir. Set aside.
5. Before you roll out the dough, prepare a metal or tiered bamboo steamer, greasing with oil or lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. (If you don’t have steamer baskets, you can dip the bottom of each manti in vegetable oil and steam them on oiled plates, dividing each tier with little ramekins or bowls placed in the center of each dish as a trivet.) Place water at the bottom of a bamboo or metal steamer and heat over a low flame.
6. Using a knife, divide both large balls of dough into four smaller balls each, all approximately the same size. Roll each of the eight balls into a rectangle approximately 5 inches by 3 inches. Then, roll the rectangles through your pasta machine on the thickest setting. Roll the dough through the pasta machine again at a medium setting, then at the second-thinnest setting. (Alternatively, you can roll the dough out by hand.) The thickness of the dough should be so thin that you can see a bit of translucency and sunlight come through it when holding it up to the light—similar to wonton or mandu wrappers you buy in the store—but not falling apart.
7. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into approximately 50 even squares about 4 inches by 4 inches. As you receive excess dough from cutting squares, you can roll the excess back into the dough and press it again at the widest setting, a medium setting, and then the second-thinnest setting until it’s ready to cut into squares again.
8. Place two tablespoons of filling on each square. Gather the four corners together at the top, pinching them and sealing them shut. Then, pinch two opposite corners together like you’re gathering a knapsack, and pinch the other two opposite corners together to draw the knapsack to a close. The end result will be a gathered, wrinkled look, like a coin purse.
9. Place your manti in the prepared steamer and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until the wrappers are soft and chewy and the filling is fully cooked. Depending on the size of your steamer, you may have to do this in batches.
10. To serve, place 5 to 6 manti on each plate in a circle. Top all the manti on each plate with gochujang onions, sliced scallions and sesame seeds (in that order). Dollop a tablespoon of yogurt or sour cream into the center of each plate, and you’re ready to eat.

“Both of my parents are from the Caribbean, so I’ve grown up appreciating the magic that happens when sweet and savory ingredients come together. The combination of smoky mushrooms, sweet pineapple salsa, coconut undertones, and supporting acidic and savory pops of flavor is what makes this bowl so divine. And don’t you dare skip out on the cilantro aioli—it is cooling, creamy, and simply the real deal.”

From LIVING LIVELY by Haile Thomas. Copyright © 2020 by Haile Thomas. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.


—Food52

Directions

1. To make the pineapple salsa: In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, jalapeño, and lime juice, and toss to mix. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
   
2. To make the shiitake mushrooms: In a large bowl, whisk together the tamari, sesame oil, maple syrup, and sriracha. Add the mushrooms and toss to combine, making sure all mushrooms are coated with marinade. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
   
3. To make the cilantro aioli: In a small blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasonings as desired. Cover and refrigerate in an airtight glass container.
4. Drain the marinade liquid from the mushrooms. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sear on one side without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy. Flip the mushrooms with a spatula and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are crisp on both sides.
   
5. To serve: In each of four bowls, place 1⁄2 to 1 cup coconut rice, one-quarter of the mushrooms, and a scoop of pineapple salsa, with a dollop of cilantro aioli on top. Placed sliced avocado and pickled onions on each bowl as well.
   

I crave spicy Asian inspired soups when I’m sick. This is a delicious, rich, hearty, comforting and healing concoction of fresh and mostly raw veggies with a spicy tamari and sake broth. It’s like a hug.

http://knifestylesofthefitandfabulous.blogspot.com/2011/03/dont-die-on-me-man-spicy-soup-recipe.html —MsShanaRobinson

Directions

1. Heat large stock pot over medium heat. Add oil and heat.
2. When oil is hot, add onions and sweat for about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and jalapenos. Stir to combine and saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add ginger juice, red curry paste and wasabi. Stir for about 5 minutes.
5. Add tamari. Cook for about a minute.
6. Add veggie stock and sake
7. Bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes
8. Remove from heat.
9. In a bowl, place carrots, daikon, bok choy stems and sprouts. Add soup.
10. Add bok choy leaves, green onions and cilantro. Squeeze lime wedge.
11. Serve hot.