Vegetarian Fun Guo
A Veggie Twist on a Teochew Classic
The most famous type of fun guo is "E'jie's fun guo" from the Xiguan area of Guangzhou, which was extremely popular in the 1920's and 30's. It is a finely made dish with translucent dough skin – that is both supple and chewy – and lots of filling. Vegetarian fun guo came about as a result of Buddhist influences, replacing the meat filling with vegetarian ingredients. The types of filling have changed often, but they mostly all have a refreshing texture, and vegetarian ingredients have gradually become mainstream.
Master Chef's Corner
A bit of salt must be added to the diced winter bamboo shoots, and they must be blanched twice and rinsed with water to fully remove the sour taste.
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Ingredients
Fun Guo Wrapper
- 3 ⅛ cups (375 grams) potato starch
- 1 cup & 2 tablespoons (266 milliliters) water
- 4.05 ounces (115 grams) wheat starch
- 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) peanut oil
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
- approximately 2 ½ cups (600 milliliters) boiling water
Filling (all ingredients blanched)
- 10.5 ounces (300 grams) diced winter bamboo shoots
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced napa cabbage
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced shaggy ink cap
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced wood ear mushroom (wet weight)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) peeled, diced water chestnut
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced fresh straw mushroom
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced dried shiitake mushrooms (wet weight)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) diced winter bamboo shoots
Sesonings
- 3 ½ teaspoons (15 grams) salt
- 2 heaping tablespoons (38 grams) vegetarian oyster sauce
- 2 ½ cups (600 milliliters) boiling water
- 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) water, for mixing potato starch at end
- 5.29 ounces (150 grams) chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup (56 grams) potato starch, added at the end
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
Please see measurements in grams to be more exact for all ingredients and seasonings.
Cooking Directions
How to make the filling
- Mix the potato starch and the 1/3 cup water to form a potato starch-water solution. Add 1/3 cup oil (75 milliliters) to hot pan. Add filling ingredients and fry until aromatic. Add water and seasoning ingredients (except for potato starch-water solution). Bring to boil, then add potato starch-water solution to thicken. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
How to make the dough
- Mix water, peanut oil, potato starch, and wheat starch from fun guo wrapper ingredients list. Pour in boiling water and mix into a thick paste. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove dough and knead evenly.
How to assemble a fun guo
- Form dough from step 2 into small balls approximately 0.38 ounce (11 grams) each. Use rolling pin to flatten into circular dough wrapper about 2 ⅓ inches (6 centimeters) in diameter. Add 0.91 ounce (26 grams) filling to wrapper. Wrap into fun guo shape or half-moon shape.
Final step
- Place in steamer basket on top of dim sum oil paper or aluminum foil with oil brushed on it. Steam on high heat for 4 minutes. Serve.
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