Y
ou know you want to make this Steamed Dumplings and honestly, you totally should! It’s not supposed to be this comforting or easy, but here we are—somehow, this humble veggie stew with steamed dumplings is out here tasting like a Sunday lunch your granny would be proud of.
Lazy Girl’s Veggie Stew with Dombolo (Yes, Those Fluffy Steamed Dumplings That Soak Up All the Goodness)
Okay, before you say it—yes, I already hear the meat lovers gasping in the back. “But where’s the beef?!” Calm down, Wena. This is the starter pack. The base. The blueprint. The warm hug in a bowl that just happens to be vegetarian (unless, of course, you decide to throw in a lamb shank, oxtail, or whatever makes your heart happy—zero judgement).
Because this right here? This is that stew.
Think:
🥕 Chunks of carrot, soft potatoes, sweet butternut, and baby marrows
🧅 All simmered with mushrooms, onions, and celery in a roasted onion stock/gravy for boosted flavour
🌿 Slow-cooked until everything’s melt-in-your-mouth tender and begging for a spoon
🍞 And then—just when you think it couldn’t get better—you top it off with pillowy, cloud-like steamed dumplings (dombolo!) that steam to fluffy perfection right on top
The Lazy Magic
You don’t need a fancy potjie or your auntie’s 12-hour recipe for this Steamed Dumplings. I used the Le Creuset Cast Iron 31cm Oval Casserole in Nectar, which is perfect for large-batch stews (and steamed dumplings), roasts, and various bakes.
The veggies do the heavy lifting here—bringing deep, rich flavor—and those dumplings? They soak it all up like little spongey dreams.
And don’t be shy to zhuzh it up. You can happily add a protein of your choice like soaked/canned beans, beef, chicken, firm tofu, or white-fleshed fish.
When to add different proteins
Beans: Add with the baby marrows, seeing they are presoaked, and if cooked too long, they’ll just disintegrate. Be sure to drain and wash the beans before adding to the stew. Beans like kidney beans, butterbeans, sweet beans, cannellini beans, etc. work well.
Beef: You can use beef mince, beef chuck, shin, or any beef stew cut; just be sure to brown the meat with oil prior to adding the onions and mushrooms. Also, some cuts of meat take longer to soften than others, so I would recommend you allow the meat to simmer on the stovetop for an additional hour before adding the butternut and potatoes. Feel free to add additional water/stock if needed.
Chicken: You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs and breasts. Start by browning the chicken on both sides in oil before removing and setting aside. Cut or shred the chicken into chunks and add to the stew with the baby marrows. This will prevent the chicken from overcooking.
Firm Tofu: Add bite-sized chunks of firm tofu to the stew with the baby marrows.
Fish: Add chunks of fresh fish to the stew with the baby marrows. Fish is a very delicate protein and fully cooks through using only the residual heat from the stew, so I’d recommend you add it with the baby marrows. Baking for 45 minutes in the oven will do the trick.
Feeling extra lazy and want to add any leftover meat in the fridge? Toss it in. Craving something spicy? Add a touch of chili. Want to sneak in spinach for the iron? Go off, Popeye. This stew plays well with others.
Why You’ll Love Steamed Dumplings
It’s hearty. It’s wholesome. It tastes like a long nap on a rainy day. It feeds a crowd, works for meat-free Mondays or full-on feast days, and practically cooks itself while you scroll or snooze. Plus, it reheats like a dream. (Yes, even the Steamed Dumplings (dombolo).
So no, it’s not fancy. It’s not plated with tweezers. But it is delicious, warm, generous, and real.
And sometimes? That’s better than fancy. Now go grab a spoon and a big bowl, and prepare to fall in love.
Vegetable Stew with Dombolo (Steamed Dumplings
Ingredients
Dombolo (Steamed Dumplings)
- 3 cups flour all-purpose or cake flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ tsp instant yeast
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
Vegetable Stew
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 500 grams portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms
- 50 grams tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves finely diced
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks with leaves sliced
- 1.5 litres roasted onion stock
- 400 grams crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium butternut or pumpkin cut into large chunks
- 4 large potatoes peeled and quartered
- 4 large baby marrows cut into 3cm chunks
- ¼ cup corn starch
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, yeast together and mix. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups water and mix until a dough forms. It must be slightly sticky so don't add unnecessary liquid. Knead for 10 mins (this will help the dough become less sticky). Rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
- In a large casserole, brown the onion and mushrooms in oil. Note: if you'd like to add meat, start by browning the meat with oil until browned, then add the onions and mushrooms and continue with the recipe as is.
- Add tomato paste, garlic, sea salt, mustard powder, smoked paprika, white pepper and sauté until the tomato paste starts to darken.
- Add the carrots, celery and liquid stock and stir.
- Add the butternut and potatoes to the stew and stir. Cover and simmer until the potatoes and butternut is fork tender. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Mix the corn starch with 4 tbsp water. Remove the stew from the heat, add the baby marrows and corn starch slurry. Mix well.
- Add parsley to the dough and combine. Section the dough into 8 equal balls and gently place on top of the stew, ensuring there's enough space in between each ball. Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Sooo tasty. Thank you