Steamed Pork Buns

Need to make something easy for kids to eat for breakfast and afternoon snacks. So I make their favorite mini steamed pork buns just the right size for breakfast. These must be very good seeing my youngest eating one after another! I have to tell him no more!🤣

 Measure out meat and place sweet suasages on top

Youngest trying to steal another bun! He's testing to see which one still warm🤣

















Prepare fillings and cut parchment paper ahead of time. Dough can easily overproof if not fast enough. Overproof dough will give darker color and lumpy skin.

Filling:

545g ground pork
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp vegetable oil
100 g chopped onion
2 stalks chopped scallions
1 tsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp tapioca starch/cornstarch
4 tbsp water

Sweet Chinese sausages 

Mix all seasonings together with pork except for water and sausages. Stirring within one direction until well combined and slowly add in water.  Continue to stir until meat absorbed all water. Divide meat into 25 pieces about 30 g each. Place chopped suasages on top. Cover and refrigerate.

For dough: makes 25 buns.

450 g all purpose flour
50 g cornstarch
180 g warm water
70 g whole milk
60 g sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast
40 g vegetable oil

1. Mix yeast with some warm water and 1 tsp sugar for about 5 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix all ingredients into electric mixer to knead dough for 12 minutes until smooth and elastic. Easier if use paddle first to form dough then use hook to knead dough on speed #2 (Add more flour if too wet, more milk if too dry)

3. Cover and rest dough for 10 minutes.

4. Knead dough and divide into 25 pieces about 35g each. Knead into round balls. Must cover dough with moist cloth to prevent drying.

5. After kneading all into round balls, then roll first dough into wrapper about 10 cm circle. (Easier to roll if add flour to surface.)

6. Place meat filling into wrapper and pleat into bun. Repeat until done. Rest buns for 15-20 minutes. (Best divide into 2 batches for steaming. So after finishing one tray, time it. Then work on rest of buns. Time up then steam first tray.)

7. Bring water in steamer to boil.  Add in 1 soup spoon vinegar.  Steam buns for 12-15 minutes. (Open lid after 5 minutes to remove liquid on lid. Then cover back)

Enjoy!

Pan-Fried Pork Buns/ Sheng Jian Bao

One of my favorite is pan-fried pork buns! Why? I get soft, fluffy, savory, and crispy at the same time! You know how delicious it is when your kids fight for the last one! My 2 year old is the smartest as he eats all the fillings and leave you the bun.🙄🤣

These goes straight to pan to fry with some oil and water just like potstickers.  Except I also added some flour to the water to create a crispy frost flower crust. Love the scallions as it makes everything smell so nice. You can eat these buns by itself as filling is savory and juicy. Or you can dip in your favorite dumpling sauce like eating dim sum!😋😋😋

Done frying when water evaporated and buns are crispy on bottom.

Open lid after 5-6 minutes. Add in scallions and sesame seeds and continue to fry

Arrange buns in 12 inch pan with oil. Leave some space for buns to expand.

If you're like me who never able to produce same size bun each time then draw a circle place under silicone mat as guide.😆









Filling:
Makes 28-30 buns, 1 tbsp 22-25g each

540 g ground pork
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 stalks chopped scallions
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp tapioca starch/cornstarch
Pinch of five spice powder
4 tbsp water

Mix all seasonings together with pork except for water. Stirring within one direction until well combined and slowly add in water.  Continue to stir until meat absorbed all water. Cover and refrigerate.

For dough: makes 14 buns 30g each. Or 15 buns 28g each. Reasons to only do half recipe because couldn't eat all in one go and didn't want dough over proof. You can double dough recipe to finish filling. Double everything but use only 1.5 tsp yeast.

225 g all purpose flour
25 g cornstarch
90 g warm water
30-35 g whole milk
30 g sugar
1 tsp yeast
20 g vegetable oil

1. Mix yeast with warm water and 1 tsp sugar for about 5 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix all ingredients into electric mixer to knead dough for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. (Add more flour if too wet, more water if too dry)

3. Oil bowl and dough surface. Cover and rest dough for 20-30 minutes.

4. Knead dough and divide into 14 pieces about 30g each. Knead into round balls. Must cover dough with moist cloth to prevent drying.

5. After kneading all into round balls, then roll first dough into wrapper about 9 cm circle. (Easier to roll if add flour to surface.)

6. Place 1 tbsp meat filling into wrapper and pleat into bun. Repeat until done. Cover with moist cloth for 10 minutes before frying.

Assemble for frying: need 200 ml water + 3/4 tbsp all purpose flour, chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds

1. Place pan on stove and add in 1 tbsp oil. Start fire. Arrange buns into pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes until bottom bun is slightly golden. (Can rearrange buns as center buns usually brown first.)

2. Add in flour water, let it boil up for 1-2 minutes then cover with lid. Heat should be medium high for 5-6 minutes.

3. Open lids, lower heat to medium. Add in 2 stalks chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds.  Continue to let buns fry on medium heat until all water evaporate and buns crispy about 9 minutes. (Need to adjust heat so not to burn buns.)

4. Remove to plate. Serve hot with or without dumpling sauce.

Enjoy!

Cover dough with moist cloth

Pork Cabbage Dumplings/Potstickers

My kids doesn't like to eat vegetables but they love these homemade pork cabbage dumplings.  I pan fried some and boil the rest as daughter likes boil while son likes fried. I like both!!!😋😋😋

Flip side down to fry side for more crispy dumplings

After 4 minutes covered. Water about to evaporate.  Continue to fry without lid until dumplings golden and water gone

Wet edge of wrapper with some water to glue the sides together.

Makes about 50 dumplings

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb napa cabbage + 2 tsp salt
1.5 pk dumplings wrappers(34 pieces in 1pk)

Seasoning:
1.5 tsp cooking wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic grated
2 stalks scallions chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp ground pepper


Instructions:

1. Chop cabbage into small pieces.  Mix in 2 tsp salt and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.  After 20 minutes squeeze out all the water from cabbage.

2. Place ground pork in a large bowl and mix in all seasonings and stir until well combined.

3. Add in squeezed cabbage to meat and stir to combine.

4. Place 1/2 tbsp full of meat to dumpling wrapper.  Using your finger tip, dip in some water to moisten the edge of wrapper.  Fold and press the wrapper together. Repeat until  done.

5. To fry dumplings, heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Place dumplings in and fry for about 1-2 minutes until bottom slightly brown. Add in 1/2 cup water and cover pan for 4 minutes.

6. Open lid after 4 minutes and let dumplings to continue frying until bottom is golden brown and water dried up. For more crispy, flip dumplings down to fry the side too.

7. Serve with your favorite dumplings sauce. Or try this sauce ➡️recipe from woksoflife.

***If want to boil dumplings: bring pot of water to boil. Add in dumplings, stir to prevent dumpings sticking to bottom and boil for 5-7 minutes until cooked.

***Can freeze dumplings after wrapping if unable to finish. Place dumplings on parchment on baking tray into freezer. Once frozen then place dumplings into bags or containers in freezer.

***Since I only bought 1 pk dumplings wrapper, I decided to make some wrappers at home to finish the leftover fillings.

Makes 14-16 dumplings wrappers







Homemade dumplings wrappers using 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp boiling water. Knead into dough or use food processor.  Cover and rest 20 minutes.  Flour surface and roll out thinly.  Cut with circle cutter.

Cook same way as store bought wrapper.

Homemade Wontons

Wonton is very easy to make and you can either fry them for appetizer, eat them as dim sum, or eat with noodles soup. I add in water chestnuts for a crispy crunchy taste. I also add in more shrimps so it's more flavorful.



Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb shrimps
2 glove garlic minced
2 stalks scallion chopped
1/2 cup or 10 water chestnuts (canned or fresh) smashed and chopped
1/2 cup water + 2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp oil
1 egg white
1 pack wonton wrap


Seasonings:
2/3 tsp salt
3 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp msg (optional)
1/4 tsp five spice
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp grounded pepper

Method:

1. Place ground pork on chopping board and use a heavy knife to continuously chop the pork until it's sticky and somewhat glutinous. Set aside.

2. Peel and devein shrimps. Place on chopping board and smash each shrimps. Then chop them coarsely. Add to the ground pork.

3. Place whole water chestnuts on chopping board and smash individually. Then chop them in small pieces. Add to ground pork.

4. Add minced garlic to ground pork. Hand mix everything together until well combined. Then add in seasonings. Mix well again.

5. Add in 1/2 cup water + 2 tbsp cornstarch mixture, 3 tbsp oil, and egg white. Mix well. Then add in chopped scallions.

6. Place some 1 tsp meat with each wonton wrap.

7. Bring a pot of water to boil. Place wrapped wontons in and give it a stir to prevent wonton sticking to bottom pot. Cook until wonton float to the surface. Should be 3-5 minutes.

8. Add wontons to your wonton soup or noodles soup.

For Frying: Just heat a pot of oil and add in wrapped wonton. Fry until golden where wonton float to surface. Dip with sweet and sour sauce.

For dim sum: Boil the wonton and eat them with hoisin sauce + Sriracha hot sauce.

Ham Sui Gok (Fried Crescent Dumplings)

I finally know how to make these ham sui gok! You usually get these from the bakery or at dim sum. They are really not that hard to make....but then you can not find the recipe anywhere. I know some make with ground pork, dried shrimps, dried shiitake mushroom, chives, and jicama. But I decided to make it a little different and omitted dried shrimps, chives, and jicama. I replaced them with fungus, scallions, and onion. My ham sui gok turned out great just like the the one at the bakery with crispy and chewy shell with tasty filling. I'm so proud of myself!!! I forgot to measure the seasoning so you will have to work on it. The filling should be a litt
le sweet.
I made the fillings ahead of time and the fillings can make 50 dumplings. I usually save the rest in refrigerator and make fresh dough for dumplings each time. I find it easier to do it this way than to make all a once.





Fillings:

1 cup ground pork
3 dried shiitake mushroom (soaked 4 hrs or overnight)
1-2 pieces dried fungus (soaked 4 hrs) should yield 1/4 cup
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalk scallion chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch +3 tbsp water

Seasonings:
salt
fish sauce
sugar
msg
oyster sauce
five spices powder
grounded pepper

Method:

1. Heat some water to boil the mushroom and fungus for a couple minutes. Then rinse and chop into small pieces.

2. Heat wok with some oil and add in ground pork. Stir until almost cook and add in chopped mushroom and fungus. Stir for couple minutes and add in seasonings. Then add in water.

3. Slowly add in cornstarch mixture to thicken sauce. Remove from heat and add in chopped onion and scallion. Stir and leave to cool.


Dough: This dough only make 10 dumplings. The above fillings can make 50 dumplings.

1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup wheat starch
1/3 cup hot boiling water
1/2 cup water
4 1/2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Place wheat starch in a large bowl and add in hot boiling water. Stir with chopsticks until dough cooked.

2. Stir in sugar and mix well.

3. Mix in glutinous rice flour. Stir and add in water to form a dough. If too wet then add in just a little glutinous rice flour. Knead into a dough.

4. Divide into 10 pieces.

5. Fatten dough in rough shape and add in fillings. Form into dumpling like shape.

6. Heat oil on medium heat and fry dumplings until golden. No high heat as the dumpling might explode.

Taiwanese Peppered Pork Pastry

Thanks Lily for sharing the peppered pastry video. I didn't understand everything so I had a friend to translate some of the ingredients. I didn't totally follow the instruction since I have a lot more meat and decided to use all the meat. I've never tried the pork pastry from Taiwan so I'm not sure if my version is similar or not. However, these were pretty good since I ate three for dinner. The dough is light and flaky. The peppered filling was a little spicy and good. The video ask for medium and low protein flour. I didn't have any so I made my own by mixing all purpose flour and cornstarch. The more cornstarch, the harder and crispier the pastry. Next time I might mix a little less cornstarch for medium protein flour so the dough can be more chewy.




Ingredients:

2 lb ground pork
1 lb ground belly pork
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/4 cup water
5 stalks scallion chopped
1/4-1/2 cup sesame
syrup = boil 1/2 cup water + 1/2 slab sugar

Dough 1:

3 cups medium protein flour = 2 c all purpose + 1 c cornstarch
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup water

Dough 2:

1 c low protein flour = 3/4 c self rising + 1/4 c cornstarch
4 tbsp lard

Method:

1. Mix all the meat together with the spices. Stir until homogeneous and add a little water at a time. Then add in sesame oil. Continue to stir. Wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

2. Mix the dry ingredients for dough 1. Then form a well and slowly add in the water. Knead into a soft dough. Cover for 1 hr and let it double.

3. Mix the lard with the low protein flour for dough 2. Knead into a dough. Roll out and cut into 16 pieces.

4. After dough 1 double. Roll out and cut into 16 pieces.

5. Using dough 1 and wrap dough2. Roll it flat. Then roll into a swiss roll. Then pinch the two end to the middle and roll it out again. Again roll into a swiss roll. Then pinch two ends to the middle and then flatten.

6. Place meat in center of flatten dough and add in scallions. Wrap and then dip the smooth side in the syrup and then on the sesame. Then place on a nonstick pan. Let the dough rest in the oven for about 10 minutes. Then turn on the oven for 350 F. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Serve hot.

Flaky Taro Mooncake Pastry

I just had a feeling of wanting to eat some puff pastry. So I went and google some recipes for flaky pastry. There are some recipes for yam pastry but I only have taro. So I decided to make my own taro pastry. The truth is I've never eat this pastry before. I think they do sell them as mooncakes but never had a chance to taste these. The result is very good...except the color was gone after I fried the pastry! I need to bake them next time instead of frying. I think this is also good if I make a salty fillings. Got the dough recipe from auntyochana blog. Sure will make these again next time.



Fillings:

500 gm steamed and mashed taro
145 gm sugar
1 cup water
4 tbsp all purpose flour

Method:

1. In a pot heat the water and sugar together. You can add a little purple to give the filling a darker color. Then add in the mashed taro.
2. Stir well and then turn heat low. Taste and if you need to add more sugar then add more. Now slowly add in one tablespoon of flour at a time until the mixture is thicken but not so thick that you can't stir.
3. Remove from heat and let it cool down before forming balls. After cooling the taro will be harder and easier to shape. Make 16 balls then place them in the refrigerator to continue cooling. (Note: If it's too sticky then use some flour on hands before handling the taro.)

Water Dough:

200 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp white vinegar
50 gm shortening
30 gm sugar
100 gm water

Oil Dough:

180 gm all purpose flour
100 gm shortening

Method:

1. For water dough, mix water, sugar, and vinegar. Mix to flour and add in shortening. Knead to a soft dough. Let rest for 20 mins. Divide into 4.
2. Knead flour and shortening together for oil dough. Divide into 4 parts.
3. Know flatten the water dough and place the oil dough in the middle. (see pics below). Roll it out and then fold and roll out again. Then roll it into a swissroll and cut into 4 pieces. Repeat for the rest of the dough.
4. Flatten each piece of dough and you will see the spiral. Place the taro ball in the middle of the dough and wrap it. Remember the pretty side on the outside so when you fry you can see the spiral.
5. Heat oil and fry until golden. It should only be two to three minutes since we do not need to heat the filling. Only need the dough to cook.

Steamed Rice Cake with Dried Scallops (Banh Duc Man)

Had a craving for this cake since I have not eat it for a while. So I decided to make this my way based on what I have at home. Usually my mom make this and make it with fresh rice. But then you have to soak the rice overnight and blend it. Making it with rice flour is so much easier. My first time making and the result was great!!! You can always replace the dried scallop with ground meat.





Ingredients:

1 bag rice flour 400 grm
50 gram cornstarch (about 1/3 cup cornstarch)
50 gram of cooked rice
1.6 liter water
1 can coconut cream (400 ml)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Topping:

1 1/2 cup dried shrimps soak overnight
7-8 XL dried scallops soak overnight (and shredded after soaking)
1 1/2 cup fried red onion
4-5 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh scallion

Seasoning:

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fish sauce

Method:

1. Combine rice flour and cornstarch to with 1 liter of water and mix well.
2. In a blender blend the cooked rice with 600ml water. Place the mixture in a pot with 1 scoop of the rice flour mixture and heat until hot but not boiling. Remember to stir as it will stick to the bottom of pan. Add this hot mixture into the rice flour mixture and stir will pouring. Mix well.
3. Add in the coconut milk and stir well. Add in the salt and sugar.
5. Heat a pot of water for steaming. Oil a 12 inch pan. The pan should be at least 4-5 inches high. After the water boil, place the pan in to heat.
6. Once the pan is heated up, stir the rice flour mixture and pour in about 2 cups. Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes until the top is firm enough to pour a second layer. Repeat until all mixture is gone. Remember to add more water for steaming as it will dry up.
7. After the final layer, steam it for another 30-40 minutes until the cake kind of separate from the pan. Let the cake cool a little.

Topping:

1. While the cake is steaming, shred the soaked scallop. Heat a small pot of water and boil the shredded scallops for 1 minute and then drain.
2. Chop the dried shrimps in small chunks.
3. Heat a pan with some oil. Fry the garlic until golden and stir in the dried scallop and shrimps. Stir until the scallop and shrimp are brownish and somewhat dry. Add in seasoning and stir will. Taste and add more if needed. Now add in the scallion and stir. Add in the fried red onion and stir. Leave to cool. Add the topping to the cake.

Fish Sauce:

10 tbsp sugar
8 tbsp fish sauce
3 cup water
1 1/4 lime
4-5 cloves of garlic
3-4 chillies

Chop the garlic and chillies finely. Add in the lime juice, sugar and water. Mix well and then add in the fish sauce. Better to add in the fish sauce slowly and taste it before adding more. Taste and add more. The sauce should be spicy, kind of sweet, and tasty with some sour.

***Eat the cake with the fish sauce. The sauce is not for dipping but to pour over the cake. Only pour over the one you're eating. The cake can be refrigerate and microwave again when eating. If you don't want to use coconut milk then just use water.