Aug 3
2009

Nutella Banana Gyoza

in Uncategorized

Yesterday I showed you how to make your own gyoza wrappers. When it comes to filling them, the sky is the limit! You’ll be hearing about a more traditional style of gyoza later this month in the Washoku Warrior roundup, so today I’m going to share a simple filling that is a bit more unexpected. After cooking up some savory gyoza for dinner the other day, I had leftover homemade wrappers. I couldn’t let those yummy wrappers go to waste, so I decided to whip up a dessert that would use them up. When I lived in France, my favorite crêpe stand was on the way from the train station to school. This meant that I had to pass it two times a day: once on the way to class, and once on the way home. This also meant that I probably ate more than my fair share of crêpes. My favorite was a crêpe filled with Nutella and sliced bananas. If you aren’t familiar with Nutella (gasp! blasphemy!), it is a chocolate hazelnut spread. But as the World Nutella Day webpage states, “Nutella is more than just a ‘chocolaty hazelnut spread,’ it is a way of life. From childhood memories to oozing hot crepes, from breakfasts on vacation to free-spooning sessions on the couch, Nutella is prominent in the memories of many children and grown-up children in the world.”
I decided to pay homage to my favorite crêpe by making a gyoza with the same fillings. These are SO easy and yummy, and unfortunately, SO addictive. You’re going to be seeing Nutella in my neck of the woods a bit more often, as I’ve taken up bell’ alimento’s Nutella Challenge.
Each month there will be lots of great Nutella recipes popping up in the blogosphere by food bloggers, too, so check them out by searching #Nutella or #TNC on Twitter, or by taking a look at The Nutella Challenge Blogroll.
bell’ alimento has already posted a yummy recipe for Nutella gelato that is now on my “must make” list. By the time World Nutella Day rolls around next February, you should have plenty of ways to celebrate. These gyoza make a very flexible dessert because you can either stuff yourself silly by eating way too many (wahoo!), or eat 1 or 2 for a small dessert. They cook up quickly, giving the outer wrapper the perfect amount of crunch and warming up the interior so that the Nutella is hot and gooey, but the banana isn’t overcooked.

Nutella Banana Gyoza
La Fuji Mama
Makes 20 dumplings
* Quantity is easily adjusted–just increase/decrease the number of gyoza wrappers and amount of banana to the number of gyoza you’d like to make

20 Gyoza wrappers
2 medium-sized ripe bananas, sliced
Nutella
Vegetable oil, for frying
Powdered sugar (to dust dumplings after cooking)

1. Place a dollop (approximately 2 teaspoons) of Nutella in the center of the gyoza wrapper. Place a slice of banana on top of the Nutella.
2. Dip your finger in a bowl of cold water and use it to wet the edge of half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and pinch it together in the center. Make pleats on one side of the dumpling, and then the other. Only pleat the top layer of the wrapper (the backside will remain smooth without pleats). For a good visual demonstration of how this is done, see this tutorial.
3. In a pan, heat a 1/2-inch layer of vegetable oil to 365 degrees Fahrenheit (after reaching temperature, reduce your heat slightly so that the temperature is maintained, rather than continuing to climb).
4. Place your gyoza carefully into the oil with the pleats facing up and out of the oil. I like cooking them in small batches (they cook very quickly) so that I don’t accidentally overcook them (it’s easier to keep up with the flipping if you are only worrying about a few)!
5. When the wrapper is golden brown, flip the gyoza over and cook the pleat side.
6. When the pleat side is golden brown, remove the gyoza from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to cool slightly (and soak up extra oil).
7. When the gyoza have cooled slightly, put them on a plate and dust them with powdered sugar.
8. Now they’re ready to eat!

Other Nutella recipes here on LFM:
Chocolate Chunk Nutella Cheesecake
Tartelette’s Crème au Nutella

Coming Wednesday: Julia Child Goes to Japan

{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }

catty August 3, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Oh wow talk about a nice twist to the gyoza!! Reminds me of a thing my friend used to make – banana and nutella springrolls! YUM!

Reply

Jenn August 3, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Brilliant!! I love nutella. As is just so happens I have an new jar sitting in the cupboard begging to be open. I just need some bananas and gyoza wrappers.

Reply

Fuji Mama August 3, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Catty– Ooooh, love the idea of banana and nutella springrolls! I'm definitely going to have to try that!

Jenn- Sounds like you need to make a trip to the grocery store STAT!

Reply

Paula - bell'alimento August 3, 2009 at 4:21 pm

Rachael WOW these are stunning! Brava! Must try these soon! (btw love the plating, very snappy!) Can't wait to see what you come up with for next month!

Reply

K and S August 3, 2009 at 5:13 pm

evil to have around the house but delicious!

Reply

Jen Sue Wild August 3, 2009 at 5:13 pm

Yumm Yumm Yumm, We make something like to these.. nutella banana peanutbutter wontons.. They are so super yummy..

Reply

krismakes August 3, 2009 at 6:39 pm

Wow I haven't had time to visit for a while and I've just been catching up on all your posts…you have a new header too! These lil' things sound so yum and yay Nutella is readily availbale here in oz! The Gyoza wrappers don't look that hard to make, I am definetely thinking I could try this. OK will go comment on the other posts now:o)

Reply

Chow and Chatter August 3, 2009 at 8:16 pm

awesome idea melted heaven

Reply

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction August 3, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Oh my goodness. These look amazing! It's really good I bought the economy-sized jar of Nutella at the store. I have so many new Nutella recipes to try :)

Reply

Sarah August 3, 2009 at 9:06 pm

Oh wow… those look very very yummy!

Reply

Andrea@WellnessNotes August 3, 2009 at 9:49 pm

I love Nutella & bananas! I totally didn't expect this filling… Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Reply

Fuji Nana August 3, 2009 at 9:50 pm

So would you say this is a Frenchanese or a Japanench goodie? Great fusion!

Reply

{kiss my spatula} August 3, 2009 at 11:22 pm

YUM! you did an amazing job wrapping these gyoza!

Reply

Chef Cathy Shambley August 4, 2009 at 12:06 am

Great idea, looks so divine!

Reply

Kathy August 4, 2009 at 9:06 am

Has anyone told you you're evil??

That is a fantastic idea and something I'm going to try at my next luncheon.

Reply

Fuji Mama August 4, 2009 at 9:45 am

Hahahaha, you guys are so funny!

Kathy–No, I think you may be the first! :-)

Reply

Bob August 4, 2009 at 10:33 am

Awesome. They're so perfectly browned! Heh, I recently made some dessert potstickers. Great minds, eh? :)

Reply

veron August 4, 2009 at 11:15 am

You are killing me. Nutella and banana in a gyoza , Yum!

Reply

Jackie at PhamFatale.com August 4, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Very creative idea. I could eat a dozen of those beignets. Yum

Reply

5 Star Foodie August 4, 2009 at 2:58 pm

These gyoza sound incredible! Nutella and banana is a great combo!

Reply

Ellise Pierce August 4, 2009 at 11:27 pm

Brilliant. I'm drinking coffee right now, and thinking how great these would be for breakfast. Ooooh, I am so bad.

Reply

Emily August 5, 2009 at 1:37 am

Mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean. I think I'm going to develop an allergy to hazelnuts for the next six months just so I don't gain any weight!

Reply

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) August 6, 2009 at 12:29 am

I'm not a huge banana fan but I can imagine with Nutella and the crunchy gyoza wrappers, this is FANTASTIC! I'll have to try it!

Reply

Daisy August 6, 2009 at 12:32 pm

I'm sooo trying this! Can I use strawberries too? Can't wait!!

Reply

Fuji Mama August 7, 2009 at 6:48 am

Daisy– Yes! Strawberries would be yummy! Just make sure you pat them dry so that they don't give off too much extra water when you fry the gyoza!

Reply

Mediterranean Turkish Cook August 8, 2009 at 8:22 am

Nutella and bananas; what a great combination! I guess one can get really creative in finding fillings for gyoza wrappers.

Reply

SP August 13, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Wow! Those look amazing!

Reply

Fuji Mama August 17, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Thank you everyone!

Reply

Brit August 27, 2009 at 10:48 am

Oh my. I can't wait to try these!!!

Reply

Louise | Brochure Printing September 17, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Hhmmm… gyoza and Nutella. Two of the best things that I have ever eaten. :D This is a very good idea. Though I'm not crazy about frying the gyoza. Is there a possible alternative to frying?

Reply

Fuji Mama September 17, 2009 at 11:38 pm

Louise– You could bake them as well. The temperature chosen for frying them is designed to cook them quickest so that the Nutella heats up without the banana overcooking. The temperature chosen is also optimal so that the gyoza are absorbing the least amount of oil possible.

Reply

Natasha Kay February 4, 2010 at 11:35 pm

Hi there,
I loved this post and featured your Nutella gyoza on my blog at http://natashakay.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/nutella-envy/. Let me know if you’re not okay with me having your photo on there (although I credited it to you). Thanks! I can’t wait to try this!

Domestically Yours,
Natasha Kay

Reply

Maria March 24, 2010 at 9:29 am

I love all of your creative dishes!

Reply

HILARY November 20, 2011 at 11:22 am

This is great. I thought I was the only person in love with bananas and nutella. I have it for a snack or breakfast. I am definitely going to try these wonton yummies.

Reply

nicky January 30, 2013 at 3:17 pm

Awesome!!! Thanks for the idea. I’m going to start cooking with my little ones more often and to kick it off, I let them each choose what they wanted to make. My 6 year old chose gyoza, and my 10 year old chose mushroom soup with sherry and thyme (her favorite that I make). Should be fun! Thanks for the wrapper tutorial- can’t wait!!!

Reply

nicky January 30, 2013 at 3:18 pm

Awesome!!! Thanks for the idea. I’m going to start cooking with my little ones more often and to kick it off, I let them each choose what they wanted to make. My 6 year old chose gyoza, and my 10 year old chose mushroom soup with sherry and thyme (her favorite that I make). Should be fun! Thanks for the wrapper tutorial- can’t wait!!! Ps… I think I’ll try coconut oil for these :D

Reply

T February 2, 2013 at 4:27 pm

Hey,
have you tried freezing them? Or making them and then frying them up the next day?

Reply

Leave a Comment

{ 6 trackbacks }

Previous post:

Next post: