Place the crumbled tofu in a large bowl.

Wash the quinoa and cook it in 1 cup of water. Or Add cup of boiling water to the bulghar with a pinch of salt . Cover with clingfilm until the water is absorbed. Separate with a fork. Add to the bowl of tofu.

Add the finely minced, salted and drained cabbage , the finely minced scallions, the garlic, ginger,sesame oil, miso, soy sauce, sake, potato starch, salt , white pepper, and grated shitake mushrooms.

Using gloves, mix the filling really well, and firmly, as if you’re making bread. Gather balls of the mixture in gloved hands and throw it back into the bowl (hard) to press the mixture together as well as possible. (This mixture won’t press together as well as a meat mixture, but this process helps).

Place one wrapper in the palm of your hand (if you’re right handed, place the wrapper in your left hand).

Place a spoonful of filling in the wrapper and shape it into a disc (as opposed to a ball). Dip the fingers of your right hand into a bowl of water, and wet the entire rim of the wrapper.

Fold the wrapper in half, but don’t seal the edges yet. Pinch the left edge shut and hold it shut with your left thumb and forefinger. Fold a pleat** with your right thumb and forefinger. Use the fingers on your right hand to keep the filling from escaping. **The pleat is very important for creating the shape that allows the base to fry while the top of the dumpling steams.

Continue pleating and pinching until you’ve reached the other edge. Place on a tray lined with baking parchment, making sure the gyoza aren’t touching each other or they will stick together.

Add 2 Tablespoons oil (1 each sesame and vegetable oil) to a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the gyoza in rows.

Fry until the gyoza are just starting to turn tan on the bottom. Have the lid of the pan ready, and add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and immediately cover with the lid.

Let the gyoza steam for 2 minutes. If the water runs dry before this, quickly add a little more and replace the lid. 

After two minutes remove the lid, raise the temperature slightly and let the remaining water burn off . Let the gyoza fry in the remaining oil until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy.
Serve with the crispy side up and with dipping sauce of choice. It’s nice to serve the gyoza with a finely shredded salad of daikon radish, cabbage or other seasonal vegetables finely shredded too.

Dipping Sauces: The classic gyoza dipping sauce is equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar topped with chili or sesame oil to taste.