Bao Buns are a perfect go to meals when you feel like having something ‘nice’ without breaking the bank. T
hey are perfection and deliver on making sandwiches with an Asian flair. It is not pretty standard practice that we make our steamed buns using our simple, trusted and fool proof 2 ingredient Nutriday Dough. We keep making this dough over and over again in our kitchen for cooking and baking recipes. We will not rest until we have a revolution going on at ChellzKitchen. Fillings will always vary. Sometimes we fill-up with the vegetables available, usually cabbage and carrots, while other times there are a bunch more options which include cucumber and bell peppers. At this time it is also a good time to for you to prepare the 3 bowls needed for your fish strips.
In this specific order; Flour, Egg then crushed Cornflakes or Flour seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked paprika which adds great flavour and some good colour. I advise you use a fork or chopsticks for this step as it can get a bit messy. Whenever I am in a rush I just kind of push through the sticky hands and clean up when all the meat is well coated. The light, fluffy texture of the Bao Buns comes from steaming them (very similar to the native madombi although madombi textures vary, there are stiff ones and supper light airy ones. Must be a preference like how pap can be soft or hard). I create a water bath to steam them using a pot and colander, if you have a bamboo basket, use it and serve in it. Can you believe I bought a bamboo basket a few months ago and I am yet to use it? I can get set in my ways about using everyday items in the kitchen to produce 10/10 dishes. I guess it is so that our readers are always reminded that they need not let tools and ingredients limit them in the kitchen. Use what you have if you don’t have a specific tool, substitute your ingredients if you don’t have something a recipe calls for. Making the perfect Bao Bun does require a bit of patience and some practice. But the results are unimaginably rewarding.
Once you make them, you’ll find countless ways to put them to use. Turn them into sandwiches with leftover meat from dinner and fresh veggies and take them for lunch or add them to the kid’s school lunches (#Mopako101). Depending on whether you plan to serve them as a dainty canapé or as a more substantial meal, shape the buns as big or as small as you like. I like to use chicken fillets, by cutting them into strips large enough to fit into the buns, but size is as per your preference. Since they’re made from such simple ingredients, you should already have everything you need in your kitchen. However, despite the simplicity of the ingredients, keep in mind, the process of making steamed Bao Buns is a technical one.
INGREDIENTS: 2 cups Flour 1 ½ Tsp Baking Powder 1 ½ cups Nutriday plain yoghurt Fish Cornflakes or Flour Hinds Spices of Choice Cabbage Carrots Bell Peppers B~Well Mayonnaise B~Well Oil Hot sauce INSTRUCTIONS: Sift the flour and gently fold in the yoghurt with a spatula until the mixture forms a dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough by hand for 5-8 minutes. If too sticky, add more flour, a little at a time, while kneading. Cover and set aside until you’re ready to use your dough. Roll out the dough into a long sausage shape, about 3cm thick, then cut into pieces that are about 3cm wide. In the palm of your hand, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into an oval shape. Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and fold the dough over. Cut squares of baking parchment and put a bun on each. Heat a large steamer over a medium-high heat. Steam the buns for 7/8 mins until puffed up (you’ll need to do this in batches).
Heat oil in a shallow wide pan.
Cut your fish into strips and pass them through the mixture of flour, eggs, then through the crushed cornflakes or Seasoned Flour and fry the chicken until golden. Remove from the oil and allow to rest on napkin to remove excess oil.
Fill each bun with Fish strips and other fillings, using your sauce of preference and enjoy while they’re still warm.
Tips The buns can be steamed, then frozen. Once defrosted, simply reheat in a steamer.
