Step 1

Put the flour in a small bowl, slowly pour in the water (or vegetable juice) and knead until mixture forms a soft dough. If the dough seems too dry, add 1 tsp water at a time. You don't want the dough to be sticky though. Knead for 2 minutes and wrap the ball in plastic wrap. Let rest for 25-30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.

Step 2

Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add the mushrooms and chopped spinach and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the spinach becomes soft. Stir in the black beans, diced tofu, soy sauce, maple syrup, turmeric, sriracha and 5-spice if using. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, adding more soy sauce for saltiness, sriracha for spiciness and/or 5-spice for more flavor.

Step 4

Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and let cool 15 minutes.

Step 5

Divide the dumplings dough into 2 balls. Roll out each ball into a round as thin as you can (about 1 mm thick). I rolled out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to make sure it doesn't stick, you can also dust with cornstarch. IMPORTANT: the dough needs to be rolled out very thin, I insist on this because otherwise, the dumplings will take longer to cook and might be doughy.

Step 6

Lightly press the edges of the round with your fingers to make it thinner than the center.

Step 7

Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet your finger and run some water (not too much) around the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper to form a purse-like shape, alternatively, you can shape it into a half moon if you prefer. Make sure to press with your fingers to seal the dumpling. Set aside and cover with a damp kitchen towel while you prepare the rest

Step 8

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the dumplings 20-30 seconds, or until the bottom is golden brown. Lower the heat to medium heat and add 1/2 cup water. Cover immediately with a lid and let "steam" until the dumplings are tender and no water remains, about 10 minutes.

Step 9

Remove from heat and serve immediately with the sesame dipping sauce.

Step 10

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, if you find the sauce too salty add more water, if you prefer a sweeter sauce add more maple syrup.