STEAMED BLACK SESAME YAM PAUS

I had some leftover yam paste filling from my Baked Yam Buns.  Instead of baking another batch of baked buns, I used the yam paste filling to make these steamed buns.

These buns are soft, light, fluffy and chewy [QQ].  It's aromatic with the addition of black sesame powder.  A workable combination of yam with black sesame.

Filling - Yam Paste [from here]

Ingredients for Filling 
[half portion of this recipe is enough to make these paus]
300 gm yam
100 gm sugar
50 ml thick coconut milk [you can use dairy whipping cream]
a pinch of salt

1. Steam yam until soft.  Mash it into a paste while still hot.  Transfer to a non-stick wok, add in sugar, coconut cream and a pinch of salt. 
2. Stir over low heat until dry but still moist.  When the paste leaves the side of wok clean, it is ready.  Dish up and leave to cool before use.

Ingredients for Pau Dough

[makes 16 paus]

350 gm pau flour sifted together with 1 tsp double action baking powder
2 tbsp black sesame powder

Mix together - 200 ml lukewarm water, 40 gm caster sugar and 1/4 tsp vinegar

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp shortening

1-2 tbsp some toasted black sesame seeds

Using a Dough Mixer or Hand Knead

1. Combine all the ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl.  Knead until soft [about 5-10 minutes].  Then add in the shortening, continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic [very important step].
2. Shape into a ball and cover to rest for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down dough and remove dough to a floured surface, divide into 2 round balls.   Then divide each ball into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, then roll into flat circle [the number depends on the capacity of your steamer, for mine I made 8 at a time].
4. Wrap filling with each flatten dough.  Gather the edges and shape into pleated paus or round balls.  Place on parchment or greased proof  paper in the steaming tray.
5. Leave to prove for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes in a steamer.  Off heat and leave paus for a further 3 minutes before uncovering to cool on rack. This is to prevent wrinkle, rough skin [sometimes  they may be a little wrinkle - probably because of proofing time but the texture is unaffected].

These paus were given to my mother and mother in-law.  I have forgotten to take some shots on the cross section of this pau when I tried one.

STEAMED PANDAN SWIRL MANTOU

Today, I tried making these plain swirl baos/mantous with pandan juice and coconut milk powder.  The procedure is easy and quick with this small portion.  I seldom make small portion, so this time it is fast and I need not use my bamboo steamed for steaming.   The outcome is satisfactory  and I am happy about it.

This plain mantou is soft, moist, chewy and the sweetness is just nice for me.  Remain soft even on the next day.  Love the texture of this mantou.

Ingredients

[makes 9 mantou]

200 gm pau flour

2 tbsp coconut milk powder

40 gm sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

100-110 ml pandan juice#

1/2 tbsp shortening

1/4 tsp pandan paste [optional]

#[blend 3 or more blades pandan leaves with water, strain to extract juice]

1. Knead all ingredients together [except shortening] into a rough dough.  Add in shortening and continue to knead until soft, smooth and pliable.
2. Shape into round, cover to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.  Punch down and divide into 9 equal portions.
3. Shape each portion into a slender, elongated shape.  Flatten dough, fold into half lengthwise and roll up like a Swiss roll.
4. Invert and place on paper cases.  Leave to proof for 30 minutes.
5. Steam over high heat for 10-12 minutes.  Off heat, leave mantou in steam for awhile before removing.
   
   
   
   
   

BARBECUE CHICKEN PASTRY [CHICKEN SIEW PAU]

Thanks to Joyce of Kitchen Flavours for sharing this recipe from Alex Goh's book 'Irresistible Pastry'.  

Had kept this recipe for sometime and finally got down to make these siew paus.  The reason that took me so long to make them is the fat content in the pastry but I didn't regret giving it a try now cos' the  pastry is really flaky and the sweetness blends well with the slightly savoury chicken filling.

You can actually make the pastry into any shape that you feel comfortable.  I started pleating the pastry but find that some opened up cos' the dough is quite stiff and hard to hold its shape.  I tried the roll shape and it is much easier.

Ingredients for Filling
A] 2 tbsp oil

    1 tbsp chopped garlic
    1 tbsp fine bean paste [tau cheong]
B] 400 gm chicken meat - diced
    1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
     2 tbsp sugar
    1 tbsp each of oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce
     1/2 tsp sesame oil
C] 100 ml water
D] 1 tbsp potato starch
     2 tbsp cornflour
     50 ml water
Filling:

1. Mix ingredients B. Set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat oil saute garlic and bean paste until fragrant. Add in chicken mixture and cook until the chicken becomes white.
3. Add in water, bring to boil for 5-10 minutes. Add in thickening mix [D] and cook until it thickens.
4. Dish up and leave it to cool. Keep in the freezer for 1 hour.

Water Dough Ingredients

200 gm flour

40 gm shortening

20 ml oil

40 gm sugar

100 ml water

Oil Dough Ingredients

200 gm flour

130 gm shortening

1. Water Dough - Mix all ingredients to form a smooth dough. Divide it into 20 equal parts.
2. Oil Dough - Mix all ingredients to form a paste. Divide it into 20 equal parts. 
3. Wrap the Oil Dough with Water Dough.  Shape into  rounds, then flatten the dough and roll it up twice.
4. Flatten the dough and wrap in the filling. Seal the edges to form a pleated pau or shape into rolls.
5. Place onto a greased baking try. Brush with egg glaze, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
6. Bake at 200 degrees C for 25 minutes. 
   
   
   

WHOLEMEAL PAUS WITH SAVOURY SWEET FILLING

I had some savoury sweet chang filling left over from making of Puah Kiam Ti Rice Dumpling and used it as filling [click here for the recipe] for this wholemeal pau.

The pau skin is soft, moist and chewy. I believe this can be a basic wholemeal pau recipe which you can use with any other fillings of your choice.

Ingredients for Pau Skin

[makes 20 small paus]

240 gm pau flour

20 gm wholemeal bread flour

25 gm icing sugar

20 gm shortening

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

160-170 ml water

1. For Pau Skin – combine all the ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl. Knead until soft then add in the shortening. 
2. Continue to knead until soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into round and cover to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 20 equal portions, shape into rounds then flatten each into a circular disc.
4. Wrap filling with dough and pleat into a pau shape. Place on a piece of paper.
5. Repeat process until finish. Leave to proof for 30-40 minutes.
6. Steam over rapid boiling water for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Remove to cool on rack or serve immediately.

NYONYA MI KOO [STEAMED TORTOISE BUNS]

I have posted several Mi Koo recipes [see recipe and others] which are all reliable ones that produce lovely steamed buns.

Recently, I came across this recipe which I noticed using bread flour to make Mi Koo and shortening is not used.  The dough only needs 1 time proofing before steaming. Afraid that the Mi Koo may not turned out well, I did add 1 tablespoon shortening to the recipe.

Verdict - The Mi Koo turns out soft and moist even on the next day without reheating.  They are good but I can't tell whether it is good if shortening is omitted.  I daren't take the challenge of omitting the shortening cos' my Mi Koo are for giveaways and afraid it may failed.  If you do try making it without shortening, I would appreciate if you can let me know the outcome.

Recipe Source for my selected Cookbook for February 2016 – Nyonya Flavours [modified]

Ingredients

[makes 10 - 12 round Mi Koo]

600 gm bread flour

150 gm castor sugar

250 – 300 ml warm water

4 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp shortening [optional]

½ tsp pink colouring mixed with 3 tbsp water for brushing

1. Combine sugar and water.  Stir till sugar dissolves.  Mix in the yeast.
2. Add sugar/yeast mixture to bread flour and knead to form a rough dough.  Add in shortening and knead until smooth and soft dough.
3. Divide into 10 - 12 equal portions [about 100-110 gm each].    Shape into round balls and place on paper cases.  Leaving some space in between the dough.
4. Leave to prove for 30-40 minutes or until double in size.
5. Brush colouring on Mi Koo and steam over high heat for 20 minutes.
6. Off heat and leave Mi Koo in steamer for a further 3 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.
   
   
   

Notes:  Original recipe advised to open the steamer lid every 5 minutes of steaming.  I did try this step and the Mi Koo looks smooth.

I'm submitting this post to Cookbook Countdown 2 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray

FUZHOU VEGETABLE PORK PAUS

My husband told me that my mother in-law ate the Hock Chew Ang Chow Meat Paus right away when he brought some to her the other day. Whenever he goes visiting her, he must bring her something to eat, that prompted me to make more paus over the weekend. One of them, is this vegetable pork paus.

The filling is very easy and quick to prepare with just 2 main ingredients [cabbage and pork], no pre-cooking is needed.

This pau skin dough is a good one - pliable and easy to handle. I advise not to reduce the sugar as the pau skin should be a little sweet to taste good with the savoury filling. Looking at the pleated paus tells that the dough is good.   I could even pleat it into a leaf shaped pau.  

After steaming, it is soft, moist, fluffy and remains soft even on the next day.  But I always prefer steaming hot paus, it is more aromatic.

Recipe adapted from Coco Kong’s book on ‘Paus’ [slightly modified]

Ingredients For Filling

150 gm minced pork [with some fats should be good]

150 gm cabbage – chopped, marinated with ½ tsp salt and squeezed out excess water

1 tbsp fresh ginger juices [I used grated ginger]

1 tbsp spring onion juices 

Seasoning

1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp each of msg and dark soy sauce

1. For Filling – Mix and knead ingredients for filling with seasoning until it has a springy texture. Chilled for an hour in the fridge before use [I prepare this a day earlier]. Divide into 12 portions. 
   
   

Ingredients For Pau Skin

[makes 12 paus]

250 gm pau flour

25 gm wheat starch

60 gm icing sugar

½ tsp double action baking powder

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

130 – 140 ml water

¼ tsp vinegar

15 gm shortening

1. For Skin – Mix and knead all the ingredients [except shortening] into a soft dough. Add in shortening and continue to knead until dough is soft, smooth and shiny. Shape into a ball, cover to rest for 20-30 minutes.
2. Punch down and divide it into 12 equal portions [see photos]. Shape into ball and flatten it. 
3. Wrap up filling and gather the edges by pleating. Seal well and place it on paper case in a steaming tray. Repeat the same for the remaining ingredients.
4. Rest for 30 minutes and steam at medium heat over boiling water for 12 minutes. Off heat and leave paus in the steamer for a further 3 minutes before removing to serve or cool on wire rack.
   
   

Click Here For Other Pau Recipes

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours