Vegan Chinese Chive Pockets (韭菜盒子)

0 Soak mung bean thread noodles in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain and chop into small pieces.
1 If you haven’t already soaked your dried shiitake mushrooms, do so now. Place in a large bowl and soak in hot water for 30 minutes. Then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Remove the hard stems and chop the mushrooms in small pieces.
2 Drain and press the tofu for 20 minutes. You can do this by wrapping a towel or paper towels around the tofu block and place something heavy on top.
3 While everything is soaking and pressing, prepare the dough. In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. mix until combined. Form a well in the middle and add the water and oil. Stir with a spatula until a shaggy ball of dough forms. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes, adding more flour if it’s too sticky or more water if it’s too dry. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a towel. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
4 When the tofu is done being pressed, heat a large pan on medium high and drizzle or spray some oil on it. Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands. Sprinkle some salt on top and and saute until golden brown. Set aside while you finish prepping the rest of the filling.
5 In a large bowl, add the chopped chives, chopped shiitake mushrooms, chopped mung bean thread noodles, and the cooked tofu. Then add the sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, and white pepper. Stir until everything is well combined.
6 Lightly flour a clean surface and knead the dough ball a few times. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover with a towel as you work with one dough ball at a time. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough ball and the rolling pin. Roll the ball out into a circle, roughly about 5 inches in diameter. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round! Place about 3-4 tablespoons of filling in the center or the rolled out dough. Fold the dough in half and seal the edges together. You can make small pleats on the edges if you’d like. Place on a well floured lined baking sheet (I line it with foil or parchment paper), flatten slightly with your fingers, and cover with a towel. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
7 When you are ready to cook them, heat a large pan on medium high with about 1 tablespoon of oil (I used avocado oil). Then place about 3-4 chive pockets on the pan. Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes or until golden on that side. Flip and cover the pan. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until golden on the other side. Remove the chive pockets and repeat the cooking process for the rest of them. Serve with a soy sauce and vinegar dipping sauce. Enjoy!