Vegetarian Keto Rice Dumplings with Cauliflower Rice and Tempeh

Low-carb vegetarian rice dumplings made with cauliflower rice, tempeh, and salted duck egg yolks — a keto-friendly twist on the classic Dragon Boat Festival treat!

Before going keto, I loved eating all kinds of traditional Cantonese food. Rice dumplings were one of my absolute favorites. They are traditionally made for the Dragon Boat Festival, but I used to enjoy them for breakfast with a bowl of congee. I love the texture, the taste, and the aroma of rice dumplings SO MUCH, but eating that many carbs is no longer an option for me!

So here is my keto version of rice dumplings! The sticky rice is replaced with riced cauliflower and psyllium husk powder. Just two simple ingredients, and they do a surprisingly good job of imitating the texture and taste of glutinous rice!

Ingredients for Vegetarian Keto Rice Dumplings

Traditional VS Vegetarian-Keto Rice Dumplings

Rice dumplings were originally food or worship offerings for the Double Fifth Festival (Dragon Boat Festival), which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar calendar. That month is considered unlucky because natural disasters and illnesses tend to occur during it, so various rituals are performed on the fifth day to ward off misfortune. Wrapping rice dumplings is one of the most important traditions, both for eating and for worship ceremonies.

I love this traditional festival food, but I am not going to make it the conventional way. I want to enjoy it in a healthier way! Here are the key differences between the traditional version and my low-carb version.

1. Glutinous rice VS Sticky cauliflower rice

Glutinous rice (sticky rice) is the main ingredient in traditional rice dumplings. In this keto rice dumpling recipe, the focus is on imitating the taste and texture of glutinous rice using riced cauliflower and psyllium husk powder. I promise, this sticky cauliflower rice closely resembles the real thing!

2. Mung beans VS Tempeh

Many people love rice dumplings for the mung beans, which add a smooth, creamy texture with slight graininess. The bad news is that mung beans are high-carb and not suitable for a keto diet.

Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is a high-protein, nutritious, and keto-friendly plant-based ingredient. In this recipe, we stir-fry the tempeh to remove its raw flavor while replicating the taste and texture of mung beans in our low-carb rice dumplings!

3. Meat VS Mushrooms

Mushrooms are commonly used in plant-based cooking as a meat substitute, so it is no surprise that we are doing the same here! Stir-frying the mushrooms with five spice powder makes them just as savory as classic five-spice pork belly, with the added bonus of a wonderful mushroom aroma.

How to Make Vegetarian Keto Rice Dumplings

Leaf preparation for wrapping

1. If using dried reed leaves, soak them overnight. Skip this step if using fresh leaves.
2. Rinse and gently rub the leaves to clean them. Place them in a deep pot and add enough water to cover.
3. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the water. This makes the leaves more flexible and less likely to crack.
4. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat immediately. Keep the lid on and let the leaves soak overnight, or until the water is cool enough to touch if you are short on time.

Adding oil to the water to make the leaves more flexible.

Filling preparation - Shiitake mushrooms

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms for at least 6 hours until soft and plump.
2. Trim and discard the stems. In a heatproof bowl, stir together the olive oil, keto soy sauce, minced garlic, and monk fruit sweetener. Add the mushrooms and massage them with the sauce.
3. Steam the shiitake mushrooms for 30 minutes.
4. Cut them in half and set aside.

Shiitake mushrooms after steaming.

Filling preparation - Mushrooms & Tempeh

1. Break the tempeh into small pieces by hand. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tempeh seasoning ingredients.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the mushroom slices until golden brown and soft, then season with sea salt and five spice powder. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat another tablespoon of olive oil. Stir-fry the tempeh pieces until golden brown, then pour in the bowl of sauce and fry until the tempeh is evenly coated. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir-fried tempeh

Stir-fried mushrooms

Cut the cauliflower into small florets.

Filling preparation - Sticky cauliflower rice

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Chop the stems and leaves into smaller pieces, or discard them if you prefer.
2. Rinse under running water. Drain and pat as dry as possible with a clean towel.
3. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor or blender until rice-sized. Work in batches if needed and avoid over-blending, or it will turn mushy. Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large container and set aside.
4. Process the garlic cloves and shallots to the size of rice grains or smaller.
5. Divide the garlic, shallots, cauliflower rice, and psyllium husk powder into three equal batches.
6. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan (about 12” diameter) over medium-high heat. Sauté one batch of garlic and shallots until fragrant, then increase to high heat and add one batch of cauliflower rice. Stir-fry until it turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
7. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. Sprinkle one batch of psyllium husk powder evenly over the rice and stir-fry until combined. The rice will become sticky enough to form a dough ball.
8. Repeat with the remaining two batches.

Riced cauliflower

Minced garlic and shallots

Stir-fry the riced cauliflower over high heat.

The cauliflower rice becomes like glutinous rice after adding psyllium husk powder.

Raw salted duck egg yolks

Filling preparation - Salted duck egg yolks

1. Separate the salted duck egg whites and yolks. Reserve the whites for other dishes.

2. Place the egg yolks on a plate or in a medium bowl. Drizzle sake or rose wine over them and steam for about 20 minutes.

Raw salted duck egg yolks

Salted duck egg yolks after steaming

Wrapping rice dumplings

1. The leaves should be fully soaked by now. For 10 dumplings, remove 40 leaves and pat them roughly dry. Trim the stems with scissors to make wrapping easier. Soak the twines in water to prevent them from snapping.
2. Use four leaves per dumpling. Start with two leaves, placing one on top of the other in a cross shape, smooth side up. Fold the overlapping section into a cone and hold the tip with your hand.

Place one leaf on top of another in a cross shape.

Fold the overlapping section into a cone.

How the top looks after folding

How the bottom looks after folding

3. Fill the bottom of the cone with sticky cauliflower rice (about 60 grams). This will become the top of your dumpling, so spread the rice to fully cover the surface; otherwise, the filling may fall apart and the dumpling will lose its shape. Layer in tempeh (about 15 grams), an egg yolk, mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. Top with more tempeh (about 15 grams) and sticky cauliflower rice (60 grams).

Fill the bottom of the cone with sticky cauliflower rice.

Add tempeh

Add salted duck egg yolk

Add shiitake mushrooms and mushrooms

Cover everything with tempeh and sticky cauliflower rice.

4. One at a time, place the remaining two leaves on the left and right sides of the cone. Hold the cone shape carefully. Use your thumbs to close the dumpling with an inward fold. Press firmly, then fold the upper bunch of leaves down and the lower bunch up to seal the dumpling completely.

Cover the left and right sides with two leaves.

Make an inward fold to close the dumpling.

Fold the upper bunch of leaves down.

Fold the lower bunch of leaves up.

5. Tie the dumpling securely with a twine. Trim any excess leaves. Repeat until all the ingredients are used.

Cooking rice dumplings

1. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a wok or pot, then place a steamer rack inside. The water level should sit below the rack.
2. Arrange the dumplings in a bamboo steamer or on a plate and set them on the rack. If using a bamboo steamer, place its lid on top. Cover the wok or pot with a lid and steam for 15 minutes over medium heat.
3. Remove the dumplings immediately. Gently unfold the leaves and serve hot.

Which Soy Sauce to Use for Keto?

If you have been following along, you may know that I have gluten intolerance. I have been using this gluten-free soy sauce (the one on the right) since I started my gluten-free journey. While it does contain a small amount of added glucose, it is lower in carbs than regular soy sauce. I only use a very small amount each time, so it still works well for my cooking.

The one on the left is a soy sauce made specifically for a keto diet. It contains no added sugar, only erythritol. However, be aware that it contains wheat flour and is not gluten-free.

Tips

Add oil when cooking the leaves: The leaves will be folded during wrapping. After absorbing the oil, they become more flexible and less fragile, making the wrapping process much easier.

Do not over-blend the cauliflower: The cauliflower should resemble the size and texture of rice grains. If blended too finely, it will turn mushy during cooking and the sticky rice texture will lose its chewiness.

Stir-fry the cauliflower rice over high heat: Vegetables release water when heated and salted. Stir-frying over high heat helps the water evaporate quickly. Adding salt toward the end of cooking also reduces the amount of moisture released.

Do not overcook the cauliflower rice: As mentioned above, if the cauliflower rice becomes too soft, the dumplings will lose their pleasant chewy texture.

Cover the dumplings when steaming: Water can seep into the dumplings during steaming if they are left uncovered. When psyllium husk powder absorbs too much water, the sticky cauliflower rice turns gooey.

Storage

These keto rice dumplings keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Cover them with a piece of kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture. For longer storage, place the dumplings in a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to a month. Either way, thaw to room temperature before reheating, then steam over medium heat for 15 minutes.