Rice paper dumplings have crispy outer and chewy inside and are filled with vegetables and tofu stuffing inside. Rice paper wraps are filled with a delicious umami-flavored mix of vegetables and tofu folded into little dumpling parcels and fried until crispy on the outer and chewy inside. These are insanely addictive when dipped in tasty dipping sauce.

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Crispy outer, chewy inside rice paper dumplings
Its dairy-free, vegan dumplings are perfect as a light meal or for a snack. You can make it gluten-free by using tamari or coconut aminos as a substitute for soy sauce.
Don’t let the word “dumpling” scare you off! There are no pleating/complicated folds involved in making these dumplings using rice paper sheets.. It’s actually very simple, you fold the soaked rice paper sheets like a parcel.
Cook vegetable filling, soak rice paper sheets, add the filling, and fold/roll it into little parcels. It’s then shallow-fried in a pan until crispy. With dipping sauce, these are super delicious!
These are easy to customize. Use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge for filling. You can fry it in the air fryer or pan-sear it.
Note- the crispiness of the rice dumplings isn’t to be compared to a regular spring roll/dumplings wrapper. These have a very different texture. Eat it right away, fresh out of the pan. It has a crispy outer sheet, chewy inside.
Ingredients needed
Here’s what you’ll need-
- Rice paper sheets/rolls
- Mushrooms
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Carrot, shredded
- Cabbage, shredded
- Firm tofu
- Light soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Green onion
- Sesame seeds
- Oil
Dipping sauce ingredients
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sriracha
- Maple syrup
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
All ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.
- Rice paper sheets – you can easily find these in the Asian market or any supermarkets. You’ll need medium or large-sized wrappers. Usually, wrappers are round in shape. I was able to find square wrappers, which worked very conveniently for this recipe.
- Aromatics – I used fresh ginger and fresh garlic for aroma and flavors along with green onion.
- Fresh vegetables – simple vegetable filling like shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, mushrooms (choice of any mushroom – cremini, portabella, button mushrooms), firm tofu.
- Seasoning – the vegetable filling is seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil.
- Oil – for sautéing vegetables and for frying the dumplings.
Sauce ingredients –
It’s a simple dipping sauce that’s a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and little sesame seeds.
How to make rice paper dumplings
Prepare the filling –
If you want to include tofu in the filling mix, I highly recommend you dry the tofu first so the filling mix does not break the rice paper sheets. To dry tofu, place tofu between 4-5 layers of kitchen paper towel and place a heavy cast iron pan or mortar on top. Leave it for 15 to 30 minutes. This will press all the liquid out of the tofu. Then crumble the tofu with your hands.
Shred carrot and cabbage. Mince garlic and ginger.
Make the dipping sauce-
It’s a simple dipping sauce that’s a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and little sesame seeds.
Cook filling –
Heat oil in a skillet. Sauté diced mushrooms for a few minutes. Add fresh ginger and garlic to the pan, stir cook for a minute.
Add coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot). Cook until carrot and cabbage are half cooked. Drizzle some soy sauce and rice vinegar. Give it a mix.
Add crumbled tofu, and stir well. Remove pan from heat, and sprinkle green onion. Taste and adjust seasoning, if required add salt and pepper to taste.
Make the dumplings –
Soak rice paper sheets in water for a few seconds (5 seconds work). Place the wet sheet on a damp surface (note it’s important to work on a damp surface, so rice paper wrappers don’t stick and break apart).
Add a spoonful of filling in the center. Fold the sides and then top and bottom to form a parcel. The picture below is helpful to understand the fold. Watch the video for a better understanding.
To avoid tearing while cooking, I’d like to double-warp the parcels. Dip another rice paper sheet in water. Place it on a damp surface (damp kitchen towel or wet wooden chopping board). Place the pocket in the middle with folded side down and repeat the folds.
Optional step – sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the pockets, it adds a nice nutty bite.
Repeat this process for all the filling.
Cook dumplings –
Add vegetable oil to a pan. Pan-fry the dumpling in hot oil for a few minutes on each side until each side is lightly browned and crispy.
Eat it right away, fresh out of the pan with dipping sauce.
Useful tips
- Make sure the vegetables are shredded thin and tofu is scrambled fine.
- Use medium or large-sized rice paper sheets. Round shapes are okay, square shapes are easier and more convenient.
- Don’t over-dip rice paper sheets. Only dip it for a few seconds. If you soak it longer it will be oversoaked, which will turn them sticky and tear while folding. An oversoaked wrapper won’t crisp up while cooking.
- Don’t over stuff. Use the right amount of stuffing so the soaked wrappers don’t tear while folding and cooking.
- Keep wrappers on damp surfaces. While folding the wrappers, place the soaked wrappers on a damp kitchen towel or wet chopping board. This avoids sheets from sticking to the surface and tearing.
- Use two sheets. To avoid tearing while cooking, I’d like to double-warp the parcels. Note double layer results in the outer layer turning crispy, whereas the inner layer will be chewy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. While frying dumplings, don’t overcrowd the pan. They will stick to each other.
- Use a non-stick pan. A nonstick pan works best while frying the dumplings. You’ll also need a good amount of oil to fry off the dumplings.
- Eat it right away, fresh out of the pan while it’s still crispy. Rice paper dumplings will soften as it rests.
Common questions
Always use room-temperature water. Do not use warm or hot water.
I won’t recommend a single sheet for dumplings. The dumplings break while cooking. To avoid tearing while cooking, I highly recommend you double-warp.
There are many reasons why dumplings can turn soggy. The filling is wet. Dry tofu to remove excess liquid to avoid soggy. The liquid in the filling can cause sogginess. Also, most times using 1 rice paper wrapper can cause soggy dumplings. It will break the dumpling.
You can prepare the filling a day or two ahead of time. Refrigerate it until ready to cook. However, I recommend assembling and cooking the rice paper sheets (soaking, stuffing, and folding) right before you eat.
No, I don’t recommend it. Rice paper sheets will turn dry, hard, and brittle.
Yes, you can. Brush oil on both sides of the dumpling, and place it in the air fryer. Air fry for 14 minutes at 400F.
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📋Rice Paper Dumplings
Ingredients
- 16 rice paper sheets
- 8 oz coleslaw mix finely shredded carrots, and cabbage
- 7- ounce mushrooms portabella or cremini mushrooms, or white button mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1- inch ginger peeled & grated
- ½ cup firm tofu scrambled
- 2 green onions
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Sesame seeds
- Oil for frying
For dumplings dipping sauce-
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the filling –If you want to include tofu in the filling mix, I highly recommend you dry the tofu first so the filling mix does not break the rice paper sheets. To dry tofu, place tofu between 4-5 layers of kitchen paper towel and place a heavy cast iron pan or mortar on top. Leave it for 15 to 30 minutes. This will press all the liquid out of the tofu. Then crumble the tofu with your hands.
- Shred carrot and cabbage. Mince garlic and ginger.
- Cook filling –Heat oil in a skillet. Sauté diced mushrooms for a few minutes. Add fresh ginger and garlic to the pan, stir cook for a minute.
- Add coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot). Cook until carrot and cabbage are half cooked. Drizzle some soy sauce and rice vinegar. Give it a mix.
- Add crumbled tofu, and stir well. Remove pan from heat, and sprinkle green onion. Taste and adjust seasoning, if required add salt and pepper to taste.
- Dipping sauce-It’s a simple dipping sauce that’s a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and little sesame seeds.
- Make the dumplings –Soak rice paper sheets in water for a few seconds (5 seconds work). Place the wet sheet on a damp surface (note it’s important to work on a damp surface, so rice paper wrappers don’t stick and break apart).
- Add a spoonful of filling in the center. Fold the sides and then top and bottom to form a parcel. The picture below is helpful to understand the fold. Watch the video for a better understanding.
- To avoid tearing while cooking, I’d like to double-warp the parcels. Dip another rice paper sheet in water. Place it on a damp surface (damp kitchen towel or wet wooden chopping board). Place the pocket in the middle with folded side down and repeat the folds.
- Optional step – sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the pockets, it adds a nice nutty bite.
- Repeat this process for all the filling.
- Cook dumplings –Add vegetable oil to a pan. Pan-fry the dumpling in hot oil for a few minutes on each side until each side is lightly browned and crispy.
- Eat it right away, fresh out of the pan with dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- Make sure the vegetables are shredded thin and tofu is scrambled fine.
- Use medium or large-sized rice paper sheets. Round shapes are okay, square shapes are easier and more convenient.
- Don’t over-dip rice paper sheets. Only dip it for a few seconds. If you soak it longer it will be oversoaked, which will turn them sticky and tear while folding. An oversoaked wrapper won’t crisp up while cooking.
- Don’t over stuff. Use the right amount of stuffing so the soaked wrappers don’t tear while folding and cooking.
- Keep wrappers on damp surfaces. While folding the wrappers, place the soaked wrappers on a damp kitchen towel or wet chopping board. This avoids sheets from sticking to the surface and tearing.
- Use two sheets. To avoid tearing while cooking, I’d like to double-warp the parcels. Note double layer results in the outer layer turning crispy, whereas the inner layer will be chewy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. While frying dumplings, don’t overcrowd the pan. They will stick to each other.
- Use a non-stick pan. A nonstick pan works best while frying the dumplings. You’ll also need a good amount of oil to fry off the dumplings.
- Eat it right away, fresh out of the pan while it’s still crispy. Rice paper dumplings will soften as it rests.
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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