Delicious and healthy veggie steamed buns 蔬菜包

Name: Delicious and healthy veggie steamed buns 蔬菜包
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 300 g All purpose flour; 160 ml Water; 5 g Sugar; 4 g Instant dry yeast; 2 cups Chopped blanched greens; ¾ cup Diced shiitake mushrooms; ¾ cup Diced firm tofu; 3 Large green onions; 1 tsp Salt; ½ tsp White pepper; 1 tbsp Oyster sauce; 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil; 2 tbsp Oil

AuthorYun Zhang JohnCategoryBread, Plant Based, VegetablesDifficultyIntermediateRating

Yields8 Servings

Prep Time3 hrsCook Time10 minsTotal Time3 hrs 10 mins

Delicious and healthy veggie steamed buns 蔬菜包

If you’ve been to my blog before, you will have undoubtably seen recipes for steamed buns. My love for them is not a secret, as a matter of fact, I would like to spread this love around the world.

And if you are not familiar with Chinese steamed buns or 包子 Baozi, then you are in for a treat! These steamed yeast-leaven parcels of goodness can be filled with a variety of both savoury and sweet things.

In previous posts, I’ve shared my Saucy meat buns 酱肉包子, Ooey-Gooey Sesame filled buns 黑芝麻包, Pumpkin buns with pumpkin filling 南瓜蒸包 and Birthday longevity peach buns 壽桃包. Today, I want to share a delicious recipe for vegetable steamed buns. Above all others, this is the bun that I’d eat most regularly.

The veggie filling

In this rendition, I am using a green leafy vegetable called Yu Choy or yu cai 油菜. This literally translates to Oil vegetable because it’s in the family of vegetable that produces canola oil. The taste is a cross between a Chinese broccoli and a Bok Choy, tender and sweet and perfect for our steamed buns. But of course, you do you and substitute with whichever greens that you prefer or have access to.

A tip for keeping the green colour vibrant after blanching is to add some baking soda to the cooking water.

Another umami bomb in this filling is the dried shiitake mushrooms. Not only do they add a deep savoury note, their texture adds a great meaty bite. Make sure to soak the mushrooms before hand and wash thoroughly.

A portable healthy meal or snack

The great thing about these veggie steamed buns is that they are super versatile. Eat them for for breakfast, lunch, snack or as part of dinner. The vegetarian filling is satisfying but not heavy.

Make a double batch and put half in the freezer for whenever you fancy a delicious and healthy bite. You’ll be happy that you did!

You Will Need

Dough

300 g All purpose flour

160 ml Water

5 g Sugar

4 g Instant dry yeast

Filling

2 cups Chopped blanched greensEx. bok choy, yu choy, Chinese broccoli, cabbage...etc

¾ cup Diced shiitake mushroomsDried or fresh

¾ cup Diced firm tofuTry to get seasoned tofu like 5 spice stewed bean curd 五香豆干

3 Large green onions

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp White pepper

1 tbsp Oyster sauceor vegetarian oyster sauce to go vegan

1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp Oil

Instructions

The night before

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water.

Making the dough

Combine All purpose flour with sugar, instant dry yeast and lukewarm water. Slowly incorporate the liquid as you mix to help the flour absorb better. Use your hands and bring the dough together, this will take a few minutes. Once the it becomes one, leave it to rest so the gluten can relax.

10minutes later, knead the rested dough for a couple more minutes, then it’ll be smooth. Cover and put it in a warm, draft free place to proof. This can take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours, depending on the condition of your home.

Making the filling

Prep the veggies: Blanch the greens for a couple of minutes in boiling water that's been salted and with baking soda added. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and chop into small pieces. Clean and squeeze out the water from the soaked shiitake mushrooms and dice, do the same to the tofu. Separate the white and green from the green onions and set aside.

Into a pan over medium heat, add oil and the white part of the green onion. Fry slowly until crispy and fragrant before adding in the diced mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute then add in the tofu and fry for another minute. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients and seasonings and mix well.

Shaping the buns

When the dough has proofed, punch out the air and knead the dough thoroughly on a flat surface for 4-5min. Then, divide it into 8 equal pieces. they should weight around 55-60g each. Prep each piece by kneading it into small balls and leave them under plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.

Roll each small ball of dough into round disks that are thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle. Fill as much filling into the centre as possible (2-3 tbsp), pack it down with the spoon.

Hold the bun with your left hand and start pleading with the right thumb and index finger. Turn the buns with your left hand as you plead with the right, pinching the folds together as you go.

It’s also useful to use your left thumb to push the filling inward as your plead with the right hand. When you get to the end, close the last fold by twisting and pinching the opening and all the pleads you’ve done.

Line the shaped buns with parchment paper and leave it into your steamer uncovered to rise in a warm draft-free place for 30-45min.

They are ready to steam when the dough slowly comes back out with when pushed down lightly.

Cooking

Cover the steamer with a lid and put it on the heat over a pot simmering water. Once it comes up to the steam, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10min.

After, don’t open the right away, wait a couple of minutes before lifting the lid.

Ingredients

Dough

300 g All purpose flour

160 ml Water

5 g Sugar

4 g Instant dry yeast

Filling

2 cups Chopped blanched greensEx. bok choy, yu choy, Chinese broccoli, cabbage...etc

¾ cup Diced shiitake mushroomsDried or fresh

¾ cup Diced firm tofuTry to get seasoned tofu like 5 spice stewed bean curd 五香豆干

3 Large green onions

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp White pepper

1 tbsp Oyster sauceor vegetarian oyster sauce to go vegan

1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp Oil

Directions

The night before

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water.

Making the dough

Making the filling

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients and seasonings and mix well.

Shaping the buns

Roll each small ball of dough into round disks that are thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle. Fill as much filling into the centre as possible (2-3 tbsp), pack it down with the spoon.

Hold the bun with your left hand and start pleading with the right thumb and index finger. Turn the buns with your left hand as you plead with the right, pinching the folds together as you go.

Line the shaped buns with parchment paper and leave it into your steamer uncovered to rise in a warm draft-free place for 30-45min.

They are ready to steam when the dough slowly comes back out with when pushed down lightly.

Cooking

Cover the steamer with a lid and put it on the heat over a pot simmering water. Once it comes up to the steam, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10min.

After, don’t open the right away, wait a couple of minutes before lifting the lid.

Delicious and healthy veggie steamed buns 蔬菜包

Ingredients Directions