• Make the filling: Soak the mushrooms in just-boiled water for 20 minutes then strain and pat dry. Peel the kabocha squash and remove the seeds. Finely chop all the ingredients. Heat a skillet on high heat and coat the pan with oil. Add all the filling ingredients and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until any excess moisture from the vegetables evaporate, and the carrots begin to soften. You don't want the filling to be too wet or your dumpling wrappers will break. Remove from heat and let cool before wrapping.

• Make the wrappers: In a large bowl, mix the flour, turmeric, and salt together. Using chopsticks or a spatula, gradually pour in the just-boiled water keep stirring until the mixture begins to clump together in little clusters. Knead these together until a large ball of dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 more minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic (like Play Doh). If it's sticky and too wet, add another tablespoon or two of flour. If it's too dry, add another tablespoon of hot water. Cover the dough with a clean, damp dish cloth and set aside for 20 minutes.

• On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll the wrapper dough into a long, skinny piece about 1-inch in diameter and divide it into 16-18 equal pieces. Keep these covered with a damp dish cloth while you're assembling them. Use a rolling pin to flatten each of these pieces and roll them out to 4" (10cm) rounds (it doesn't matter if they're not perfect circles) – try to roll them as thin as possible, around 1/16-inch (1.5mm) thick.

• Assemble the dumplings one at a time: Place one dough round in the palm of your hand. Place one teaspoonful of the filling in the center of the dough round. Gather all the edges up together and gently pinch it all together at the 'neck' of the bundle, like a bag. Use a chive strand to tie around this part. Place the assembled dumpling onto a parchment-paper lined tray and continue until you run out of wrappers or filling.*

• TO STEAM: Place the dumplings in a single layer on a steamer basket lined with a thinly sliced carrot or radish round underneath each one. Pour ¼ cup or 1-inch (3 cm) of water into a wide pot or wok. Place the basket into the pot, ensuring that the water does not touch the dumplings. Cover the basket and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to a medium-low heat and let steam for 5 minutes .

* Any leftover filling can be added to a fried rice, and any leftover wrappers can be rolled out and cut into noodles (boile for 2-4 minutes)