Method

• 1.
  First, heat the oil in a wide non-stick pan over high heat. Add mushroom and fry for 4-5 minutes until beginning to catch and any moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the lentils, mashing slightly with a fork. Stir in the garlic, ginger, spring onion, sesame oil and soy sauce. Wipe out the pan with paper towel.
• 2.
  Next, set yourself up for gyoza production with a small bowl of water and a slightly damp tea towel for covering the wrappers (this will prevent them from drying out and cracking). To make a dumpling, place a teaspoonful of the lentil mixture in the centre of a wrapper. Gently dab the edges with water, then fold the edges up to create a half-moon shape.
• 3.
  Press out any air from the middle, then pleat the edges together. Repeat until you’ve used up all the filling, placing the gyoza upright on a tray or plates lined with baking paper.
• 4.
  For the dipping sauce, stir together all the ingredients until combined, then taste for seasoning. You want a nice balance of sharpness from the vinegar, nuttiness from the sesame oil and saltiness from the soy sauce.
• 5.
  Place a pan that has a tight-fitting lid over high heat and have a small jug of water at the ready. Add a few splashes of oil to the pan and fry the gyoza in batches of 6-8, depending on the size of the pan, for 2-3 minutes until golden on the base. Pour in a few splashes of water and cover with the lid for 1-2 minutes to allow the gyoza to steam and the water to fully evaporate. Set aside on a plate and repeat until all the gyoza are cooked.
• 6.
  Serve the gyoza immediately with the dipping sauce alongside.