Tofu Mushroom Potstickers with Chili Lime Dip

Steps

1. Make the dough first: stir half the salt into the flour, then pour in the just-boiled portion of the water while stirring with chopsticks until shaggy. When cool enough to handle, knead 5 minutes until smooth, cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. While the dough rests, toss the cabbage with the remaining half of the salt and set aside 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. Heat one third of the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms 5 to 6 minutes until browned and dry. Add the garlic and half the ginger and cook 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl to cool and wipe out the skillet.
4. Finish the filling: add the tofu, squeezed cabbage, carrot, green onion, the remaining half of the ginger, two thirds of the soy sauce, all of the toasted sesame oil and the cornstarch to the mushrooms and mix well.
5. Make the chili lime dip: stir together the lime juice, the remaining third of the soy sauce, the sugar and the red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves; set aside.
6. Divide the rested dough into 32 pieces and roll each into a thin 3 1/2-inch round, keeping the rest covered.
7. Fill each wrapper with a heaping spoonful of filling, fold in half and pleat the edges to seal, setting them flat-side down on a floured tray.
8. Heat a second third of the canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, add half the potstickers flat-side down and fry 2 to 3 minutes until golden underneath.
9. Pour in half of the steaming water, cover at once, lower to medium and steam 6 to 7 minutes until the wrappers are tender and the water is gone; uncover and fry 1 minute more to re-crisp the bottoms.
10. Repeat with the final third of the canola oil, the remaining potstickers and the remaining half of the steaming water. Serve hot, crisp-side up, with the chili lime dip.