Hi Chefs!
For this first blog post, I present to you the recipe of something I am really proud of- “Bao Buns” with my twist.
Bored of eating everyday dal chawal, I decided to take a dive in some Asian cuisine. Bao Buns are basically steamed buns also called baozi. They are smooth, soft and a complete meal in itself. It is Asian food originally from China mostly eaten with pork filling. I am a vegetarian, hence, I introduce you all to a vegetarian filling. Here’s my recipe down below for Bao Buns and it's filling with a little Indian twist. Do read till the end to find some important tips.
Ingredients :
APF*/Maida – 2 ½ cups
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1tsp
Vegetable Oil/melted butter - 2tbsp
Warm Water - 1 cup
Instant Dry Yeast - 1tbsp
Sugar - 2tbsp
Note: APF is All-Purpose Flour i.e Maida
How To Make Bao Buns
1. Take warm water in a bowl and add sugar & yeast to it.
2. Cover it and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
3. Take another large bowl and add maida, baking powder & salt to it.
4. Add the bubbled up yeast water mixture to the flour.
5. Bind the mixture into a dough (the dough will be sticky at this stage).
6. On a flat surface sprinkle some maida and knead your dough till it becomes smooth.
7. Spread butter/oil on the dough, put it in the bowl, cover with damp cloth/cling wrap.
8. Let it proof for 2hours or till it becomes double in size.
9. Once the dough is well proofed take it out on your working surface and knead it once again.
10. Cut and make small sized balls.
11. Roll each into a small disc with ½ inch thickness, spread some oil on it, and fold it into a semicircle.
12. Once all done, cover them with a damp cloth for about 20 minutes.
13. Meanwhile prepare your steamer. place parchment paper.
14. Place your bao buns carefully and steam them for 20-25 minutes.
Ingredients for Paneer/Tofu marination :
Paneer/Tofu - 200 gms (cut into ½ inch thick strips)
Scallions - ½ cup
Parsley/coriander - ½ cup (chopped)-
Ginger paste - 1tbsp
Garlic - 5-6 pods (chopped) (optional)
Sugar - 4tbsp
Soya Sauce - ¼ cup
Maggi masala-e-magic - 2tbsp
How To Marinate and Grill Paneer/Tofu :
1. Take a bowl mix all ingredients and dip paneer/tofu into it.
2. Refrigerate for 20 minutes for marination.
3. Take a nonstick pan and put a little oil/butter and grill paneer/tofu.
4. After all paneer is done pour the remaining marination in the pan and let it thicken to make sauce/spread.
How To Arrange Bao Buns :
1. Take a Bao Bun and place some iceberg lettuce in it.
2. Spread the prepared sauce and place some grilled paneer/tofu.
3. Add mayonnaise, mustard sauce & some pickled veggies to it.
Enjoy !!
Some Pro Tips :
1. For dough if you are using oil then do not use an oil that has a strong smell (for example, do not use peanut oil, sesame oil, etc.)
2. For Yeast use lukewarm water, if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast. (if your yeast does not bubble up it's time to change it).
3. Knead your dough well for about 10 minutes to make a nice silky dough.
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