Hoành Thánh Chay (Sweet Potato and Water Chestnut Wontons)

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 2

Make the sauce by mixing the ingredients together. Set aside.

Step 3

Place the cauliflower and sweet potato onto a baking sheet. Drizzle and toss with the oil and bake for 25–25 minutes.

Step 4

When the vegetables are done, let them cool slightly before roughly mashing the sweet potato in a mixing bowl. Add the cauliflower, edamame, water chestnuts, sushi ginger, and spring onions. Sprinkle with the sea salt and gently fold it altogether with the sesame oil.

Step 5

To make the dumplings, sprinkle a little cornstarch onto a tray. Place a wonton wrapper onto the palm of your hand and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Fold into a triangle and roughly pleat together. Place it on the tray. This technique is great for deep-frying. If you would like to poach the wontons, pleat them into gold sacks by folding into a triangle then pinching inwards until the wrappers gather at the top, before placing the wontons on a tray. Repeat.

Step 6

To deep-fry:Heat about 2 inches of oil to 320°F in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and fry in batches for about 3 minutes on each side or until blistering and golden. Drain on paper towels.

Step 7

To poach:Place in a pan of boiling water and poach in batches for 4 minutes, at which point they should float to the top. Leave to poach for another minute before draining and then gently tossing in the sesame oil.

Step 8

To serve, place on a platter and pour the perilla sauce all over it. Scatter with spring onion.