Oyaki Recipe: 5 Common Fillings for Japanese Dumplings
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 28, 2024 • 4 min read
Savory, simple, and borne from a chilly, mountainous region with no room to grow rice, oyaki dumplings are a beloved Japanese snack from Nagano Prefecture.
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What Is Oyaki?
Oyaki are Japanese dumplings made with all-purpose or buckwheat flour that feature a savory filling. After forming the dumplings, there are two basic methods for cooking oyaki: steaming or grilling. Most oyaki are briefly crisped on a skillet or similar flat pan, then transferred to a steamer basket to finish. The result is a dumpling that is crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside, with a subtle chew. If you don’t want to steam oyaki, simply make the dumplings a little flatter with a gentle press of your palm before crisping each side. If you’re working in batches, keep the finished oyaki in a low oven while you work.
Like onigiri rice balls, oyaki are a healthy, handheld snack that feature various savory fillings, including veggies, proteins like chicken and beef, and seafood. Like crispy, pan-fried gyoza dumplings, you can serve oyaki as an appetizer or snack, as one of an assortment of side dishes in a bento-style lunch box, or alongside a bowl of miso soup.
5 Common Fillings for Oyaki
In Japan, oyaki are vehicles for big, bold, comforting flavors, often made from everyday side dishes. You can use an array of ingredients to fill these stuffed dumplings: Think garlicky, sautéed mushrooms or big leafy greens, caramelized onions and potato, kimchi, roasted cauliflower, or even last night’s braised chicken. Here are some common oyaki fillings:
- 1. Kinpira gobo: Kinpira gobo is a popular Japanese side dish of shredded carrot and burdock root, stir-fried in sesame oil until tender, then simmered in a salty-sweet mixture of soy sauce and mirin, and topped with toasted sesame seeds.
- 2. Miso eggplant: Nasu dengaku is a Japanese dish consisting of grilled or roasted eggplant slathered in a salty-sweet miso glaze. Diced nasu dengaku is a perfect smoky-sweet filling for oyaki.
- 3. Nozawana: Nozawana is a leafy green in the turnip family, related to the daikon radish. Though they’re sometimes called Japanese turnip greens, nozawana is a variety of mustard leaf with a mild flavor. Pickled nozawana, nozawana-zuke, is one of the more straightforward kinds of Japanese pickles (tsukemono) to make, and a popular oyaki filling.
- 4. Red bean paste: Though fillings for oyaki are more vegetable-forward, anko (red bean paste) is a good option for a sweeter flavor profile. This paste of cooked, sweetened, and puréed adzuki beans, also known as azuki beans or red mung beans, is the star ingredient in many Japanese sweets, like daifuku mochi or dorayaki (red bean pancake). You can find prepared red bean paste in Asian grocery stores.
- 5. Steamed kabocha squash or sweet potato: Cooked squash or root vegetables are a common oyaki filling, thanks to their natural sweetness and creamy texture.
Oyaki Recipe
makes
10 dumplingsprep time
1 hrtotal time
1 hr 20 mincook time
20 minIngredients
- 1
Combine all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Roll a kitchen towel, and form it into a circle; rest the bowl on top of the towel to help keep it in place as you make the dumpling.
- 3
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, and slowly pour in hot water, a little at a time, using chopsticks or a fork to whisk. Continue adding water until a wet, shaggy dough begins to form.
- 4
Knead the dough a few times in the bowl to incorporate any remaining bits of flour, then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it's smooth, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or the kitchen towel. Let it rest at room temperature until the dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
- 6
While the dough rests, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan (one with a tightly fitting lid) over medium heat. Add the garlic and the white parts of the scallion, and sauté until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender and golden brown around the edges, 7 minutes. Season with soy sauce, and stir in the green parts of the scallion. Transfer to a bowl, and wipe out the pan.
- 7
When you’re ready to form the dumplings, portion the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, then flatten or stretch each dough ball into a thin round about 4 inches across. Place a spoonful of filling in the center, and close the dough’s edges around it, pinching to seal. Place the pinched-side down on the work surface, and turn a few times to shape and secure the folds. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- 8
Heat 1 teaspoon of neutral oil in the pan over medium heat. Cook the oyaki until golden brown and crispy on each side, about 5 minutes. Transfer it to a steamer basket, or simply pour ¼ cup of water into the pan and cover it with a towel-wrapped lid to catch any condensation. Cook the dumplings on low heat until the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
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