Chicken and Onions Bao (steamed buns) 洋葱鸡肉包

I have been wanting to make a bao ( filled steamed buns) that has the taste from my childhood memory. When I was a kid, I like to buy big bao from a coffee shop that they have very nice chicken and hard-boiled eggs as the filling. Especially they added a lot of onion, very sweet and yummy.

From the recent many food safety cases, we understand that many manufacturers are adding many kind of unhealthy substances to make our foods taste better, more QQ (elastic texture), springy, fluffy, or look white and nice! I started to ask myself do I need to add all these substances or many kind of white powder to make my homemade foods taste nicer? If I like them, then better I buy from them rather do it myself.

So this time, I try to remove away few ingredients from the previous bao dough recipe, just basic ingredients flour, oil, water and yeast,  to my surprised the bao still turn out good ! No doubt it look yellowish not white, but we feel these bao were so homey and original !
My family gave thumbs up to this chicken and onion bao, my son keep saying the chicken filling is yummy and my daughter asked me to open a shop selling bao, ^_^..

We feel that the onions still not enough! still can add little more..and the chicken still tasted moist after steamed..also don't forgot to add hard-boiled egg too !!

the bao dough also easy to handle

That one I tasted was big size bao, but I made into small size so I have hard time to wrap because uneven shape of chicken pieces..If make into big size, then it will be easy to wrap or using debone chicken (I prefer with bone, retain moisture)!

 A pair of old chopsticks (about 50 years old) given by the crockery shop owner that I often buy things from them..

Chicken and Onions Bao (steamed buns) 鸡肉包

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes 16

For chicken and onions filling

750g chicken thigh (bite size pieces)
1 spring onion, sliced
2 onions (large), wedged

2tbsp light soy sauce

1tsp salt or to taste
1tsp sugar or to taste
pepper
sesame oil
dark caramel sauce, for darker colouring
Water, add when it is necessary

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok, sauté spring onion till aroma.
2. Add in chicken pieces and onion, stir to till mix well.
3. Add in seasonings, continue to cook till chicken tendered over medium heat, add water when it is necessary ( I did not add water at all).
4. Dish out and set aside to cool

6 hard-boiled eggs, wedged

For the bao dough

500g cake flour

1/2tsp salt
2tsp instant yeast
80g caster sugar
220g water
40g corn oil

  Method

 1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well and knead till smooth and no sticky to hands.
 2. Cover with damp cloth and proof to double in size (30-60mins).
 3. Knock down dough to expel some air, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a while.
 4. Weigh out 55g of the dough and roughly shape into a ball, rest for 15mins.
 5. Flatten and roll out the dough into a circle with a rolling pin. Spoon in filling (1-2pcs chicken and onions, and 1pc of wedged hard-boiled egg) onto the center and pleat up the sides and seal.
 6. Place the bau onto a piece of greaseproof paper, on the rack for steaming. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and let rise for another 10-15 mins.
 7. Steam the bau under rapidly boiling water on high heat for about 10 to 12 mins.
 8. Remove from steamer and serve hot.
 9. Store in the fridge for left over bao, steam again before serve.

Steamed Pumpkin buns with Lotus paste filling 南瓜小包子

The other day my blogger friend Simple Menu (Yan) forwarded a link to me and asked me : you do you do, you can do this, hahaha..

She always asked me to try out new recipe when she found any interesting recipes. Since i still have half pumpkin sitting in the fridge, why not try this cute pumpkin bun which look like pumpkin shape.

When i see this white lotus paste selling in the bakery ingredients shop and realized that Mooncake festival is approaching. I quickly buy this paste first before they sold out very fast..So i use this lotus paste to make the filling for this bun.

Use a butter knife to make the pumpkin pattern

Before steam

   

Steamed Pumpkin buns with Lotus paste filling 南瓜小包子
(recipe source: visually inspired by here, recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes 13 buns


Ingredients
150g mashed pumpkin ( steam or microwave to soften)
225 all purpose flour
1tbsp sugar
1/3tsp salt


To make yeast water (set aside for 5mins to bloom)
1tbsp lukewarm water
1tsp sugar
1tsp instant yeast


Filling- lotus paste ( you can replaced with red bean paste, peanut or etc)
Pumkin skin- cut into small piece to make as pumpkin’s stem


Method
1. Add in all ingredients and yeast water in a mixing bowl and knead till smooth dough.
2. Cover with damp cloth and rest for 60mins.
3. Knock down dough to expel some air, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a while.
4. Weigh out 30 gm of dough and roughly shape into a ball and rest for 10mins.
5. Weight lotus paste 15g and lightly shape into ball.
6. Fatten and roll out the dough into a circle. Place lotus filling onto the center, wrap and pleat up the sides and seal.
7. Use a butter knife, mark from top and lightly press down towards bottom, keep a small gap in between, repeat this step till whole dough ball finished. Place a small piece of pumpkin skin at the middle and lightly press down.
8. Place the pumpkin buns (pleat area face down) onto a piece of greaseproof paper, on the rack for steaming. Cover with a piece of damp cloth and let rise for another 10-15 mins.
9. Lightly mark bun with butter knife again (to sharpen the pattern), steam the buns under rapidly boiling water on high heat for about 15mins.
10. Wait for 2mins then only open the lid and remove from the steamer.

Steamed vegetable dumplings (Chai Kueh) 菜粿 (1)

This is another version of Chai Kueh. The other day I saw Helena tried her sister Jane's chai kueh recipe and she told the dough is easy to handle and not sticky to hands..

I was using the bowl given by Jom masak, Jom makan-makan (Thanks Cikmanggis) to cut out the round disc skin.

There is pro and con if compare to two recipes. I have hard time to roll the skin because the dough was sticky and wet when i first tried Joceline's recipe, but amazing when i dust a lot of tapioca flour , the skin texture still maintained soft after steamed. Jane's recipe is easy to be handled, but the skin is easily to break (i guess due to high amount of Tang Mein flour) especially for those thin skin and also partly due to i tried to fill as much of filling possible, hehehe..

 

Steamed vegetable dumplings (Chai Kueh) 菜粿 (1)
(recipe source: skin recipe adapted from Helena and Jane, filling recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

For the filling
1 medium jicama, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 firm tofu, pan fry till brown, shredded
25g dried shrimps, soaked in water, chopped
50g mushroom, shredded
Some chopped coriander

1tsp salt or to taste
2tbsp light soy sauce or to taste
1tsp sugar or to taste
pepper

Method
1. Heat oil in a wok, sauté dried shrimps till aroma.
2. Add in jicama, carrot and fried firm tofu, continue to cook for 15mins or till dry.
3. Add in seasonings and chopped coriander, mix well. Set aside to cool.

For the dumpling skin
100g Tang Mein four
70g tapioca flour
1/4tsp salt
1tbsp cooking oil
220g hot boiling water

Method

1. Mix two flours and salt in a mixing bowl, stir to combine.
2. Add hot boiling water into mixing bowl, stir and combine, add in cooking oil, mix well.
3. Cover the mixing bowl and set aside for 5mins (to cook the flour).


To make steamed vegetables dumplings

1. Dust tabletop with little tapioca flour, roll dough to form a thin circle.(using a round cutter or a small bowl to cut out thin circle as to standardize the size)
2. Wrap 1 tbsp of filling with each skin. Wrap the dumpling skin like making pau and seal the opening by pressing the edges together.
3. Brush some cooking oil on the steaming plate, steam for 10mins.
4. Remove the steamed dumplings and garnish with fried shallots, spring onion and chopped red chili. Serve hot.

I was enjoyed with the chili dipping sauce given by Eileen the other day, the chili sauce is very yummy. Thanks Eileen!

Siew Mai (五行色 烧卖)

Have you seen so colourful Siew Mai before? My new invention of Siew Mai based on Chinese Wu Xing colours (五行色).
A very Feng Shui related Siew Mai..

I have this crazy idea to making this Wu Xing Siew Mai earlier, and today i made into action.
Below informations are from baidu and the 5 colours means:-

一、五行色（金）:白 (Metal) White

“君子佩玉”——自古以来中华民族以佩玉为道德与修养的标志，“羊脂玉”更是玉中极品。玉又是中国传统文化中吉祥如意的象征。白色有起着重要的协调作用。

二、五行色 (木): 绿 (Wood) Green

郁郁葱葱的树木是自然的风采，是生命与环境的象征。寄寓着人类与自然和谐发展。

三、五行色（水）:灰 (Water) Grey

蜿蜒起伏的万里长城和掩映在绿树丛中的四合院民居的灰色，灰色具有朴素魅力。

四、五行色（火）：红 (Fire) Red

红色的宫墙，红色的灯笼，红色的婚礼，红色的春联。红色是激情和运动的颜色；红色是喜庆与祥和的颜色；红色是民俗与文化的颜色。

五、五行色（土）:黄 (Earth) Yellow

黄色的琉璃瓦，金秋的树叶和丰收的农田，是最亮丽的色彩。黄色代表着独特的自然景观及人文与历史的精彩和辉煌。黄色在中国的色彩文化中具有崇高的象征意义。给人明亮与欢快的感觉。

Here are the dough with 5 difference of colours..

These are the toppings..

Siew Mai before put the toppings..

We love this new flavour of Siew Mai- Apple and Lotus root...

And this Shan Yao and Grey wrapper made by charcoal powder (can't taste the charcoal taste actually ), indeed a very healthy combo...

Also i combine 5 colours together..so colourful..

Siew Mai (五行色 烧卖)
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)


Wrappers
Plain flour and water & colouring ratio – 1 : 0.5
White- plain flour
Red- Red yeast and a drop of red food colouring
Green- spinach juices
Yellow – pumpkin puree
Grey – black charcoal powder


Siew Mai Filling
300g minced meat (pork or chicken)
150g prawns, cut into small pieces (add1/2tsp baking soda and marinate for 15mins, wash it before use, this is to make it crunchy)
100g water chestnut, chopped
1tbsp sugar
1tsp light soy sauce
1tsp sesame oil
1tsp rice wine
1tsp chicken stock powder
1tsp salt or to taste
1tsp grated Ginger
2tbsp potato flour


Method
1. Mix all ingredients and seasonings in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly by a pair of chopstick until it becomes a sticky mass (hei kau).
3. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.


Toppings
Chinese Mountain Yam (山药 Shan Yao, or 淮山 Huai Shan)
Carrot
Sweet Pea
Lotus root
Apple
Sweet corns
Chinese coriander


To make Siew Mai


Method
1. Place a siew mai wrapper on your palm.
2. Place a table-spoon of filling in the centre and press down with the back of a wet teaspoon.
3. At the same time, close your hand as if making a fist, cupping the siew mai.
4. Give it a gentle squeeze. Top with toppings as desired. Refrigerated before use and also to set it firm.
5. Arrange siew mai in a single layer on a tray.
6. Steam over boiling water for 7-10mins. Serve hot.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #19: Dim Sum Affair (May 2012) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.



Maybe in future you can see this 五行色烧卖 selling in the dim sum restaurant ^_^

Vegetarian pumpkin dumplings (素煎餃/ 鍋貼)

Last Saturday, my sister brought me to a vegetarian food party which organized by Tzu Chi Malaysia 慈濟 (Tzu Chi Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1966 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in the impoverished east coast of Taiwan. The Foundation has been contributing to better social and community services, medical care, education and humanism in Taiwan for nearly forty years). My sister is now one of the volunteer in this center. I was truly enjoyed all the yummy vegetarian foods prepared by their members. Also I learnt this vegetarian dumplings from them..

All yummy vegetarian foods served in this party...素食也可以很好吃！

They also talk about the benefit of eating vegetarian foods and encourage us to eat less meat and oily foods (cheese, butter and etc) to have a better and healthy life..I was inspired by this talk and I will start to cook at least one vegetarian meal once in a week..

They also do recycle activities in this center..

This Taiwan lady taught us how to make dumplings from the scratch..(taken by phone, sorry for the poor quality)

One tip from her, make this flour water to get a cripsy bottom of dumplings..

Adding the flour water, you can see a thin layer of cripsy cooked flour at the bottom..

This is the filling, they suggested to use the mushroom stem (not to waste by throwing away and the stem actually has nice texture)..

Nice dipping sauce-light soy sauce, water, sesame oil and Basil

To make round dumpling wrapper, use the end of the rolling pin and roll by turning the dough in circle..Since this is homemade, do not force yourself to get a perfect round wrapper..Even is uneven, after wrapped, you will still see nice dumpling shape..

Too bad, I'm not able to take the video to show you how i wrap the dumplings. Let me show you the pictures as per below, the steps actually start from pull, fold, press and seal the wrapper..

Pan fry the dumplings...

Vegetarian Pumpkin dumplings (素煎餃/ 鍋貼)
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes around 80 mini dumplings

Dumpling wrapper
300g plain flour
150g pumpkin puree with water, mix 100g pumpkin puree (after steamed) and water

Filling
250g cabbage, chopped finely
50g carrot, chopped finely
20g Chinese chives, chopped finely
100g cooked Chinese Shiitake mushroom stems, chopped finely (you may replace with just mushroom but not the mushroom stem)
Seasonings
1tbsp light soy sauce
1/2tsp salt
1tsp sesame oil
A dash of pepper

Cooking dumplings
Flour water – add 1 cup water with 1tbsp plain flour

Method
1. Soak dried Shiitake mushroom stems for overnight. Braise with water (season with light soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce) for 1-2 hours (I use pressure cook to cook for 20mins).
2. To prepare dumpling wrapper, mix flour with pumpkin water, knead till smooth dough, set aside to rest for 1hour.
3. To prepare the filling, squeeze as much of water from cabbage, mix with carrot, chives and mushroom. Add in seasonings, mix till combine well.
4. Dust worktop with flour, divide dough into small pieces, use rolling pin to roll dough into round and thin. Place a small spoonful of filing on the dumpling skin, fold it accordingly.
5. Add little cooking oil in a non-stick frying pan, fry dumplings over medium heat.
6. Once dumplings bottom turned golden brown, add some flour water and cover with lid immediately, cook over high heat.
7. Cook for about 2-3 minutes till water has evaporated.
8. Dish out and serve with dipping sauce (Light soy sauce, sesame oil, water and basil).