Asian vegetable-filled steamed buns
This is a vegetarian version of the steamed buns.
Duration: Takes around 4 hours from start to finish.
Ingredients
Dough covering
- All purpose flour 3.5 cups
- Active dry yeast 1 and 1/8 tsp
- Water 1/4 cup
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- Milk 1 cup
- Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Filling
- Textured Vegetable protien/soy granules 1 cup
- Shredded Carrots 4 cups
- Shredded spinach 4 cups
- Onion, sliced 1 cup
- Soy sauce 3 tbsp
- Pepper 1/4 tsp or to taste
- Grated ginger 1 tbsp
- Garlic, crushed 3 pods
- Brown sugar 1 tbsp
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Other requirements:
- wax paper or thin cloth
- steamer (large one preferably)
Procedure
Prepare dough
1. Heat water to 115 degrees farenheit.
2. Add the sugar and yeast and let it “proof” for 5 mins.
3. Add the milk to the yeast mixture.
4. Add the flour gradually and knead into dough. Knead for the standard 10 minutes.
5. Put the dough in the bowl, cover it and let it sit for 2 hours. (Make the filling)
6. Punch down the dough, sprinkle baking powder over the dough and knead for 8 minutes.
7. Let it sit covered in the bowl for 5 minutes. Dough is ready.
Reconstitute the soy granules
1. In a small pan bring 2 cups of water to boil.
2. Turn off the heat.
3. Add the granules and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Strain through a strainer.
5. Pass under cold water and squeeze out the water.
Prepare the filling
1. Heat oil in a sautee pan.
2. Add the crushed garlic to the oil.
3. Saute onions until brown.
4. Add the spinach and let it cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the carrots and let it cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the soy granules.
7. Add the rest of the ingredients for the filling (add more/less to suit your tastes) and let it cook on low for 10 minutes covered.
8. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Form the buns
1. Divide the dough into 24 parts.
2. Roll each portion into a 4 inch disk.
3. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of filling
4. Make gathers around the rim forming a bundle and bring it together at the center. Set it on the wax paper or cloth
5. Repeat with the process with the rest of the buns
6. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.
Steam
1. Fill steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to boil. Steam on high for 15 minutes.
Serve with chilli sauce.
**WARNING: It is labor intensive and takes a few hours to reach the table. However the effort is well worth it.
