Chinese Steamed Buns - Mantou - 饅頭#BreadBakers

For this month’s Bread baker’s   of suggested steamed buns… I choose to make these chinese steamed buns without filling.

 Steam cooking is a common practice in southern part of India. Most of our breakfasts were steam cooked. Steam cooking is considered to be healthiest cooking methods.

Chinese Steamed Buns are known in china as mantou.

  Chinese steamed buns are best when freshly steamed. These buns can be prepared and freeze for later use.

 These are the common breakfast buns served in Northern part of china.

In the north and west china these are served with crispy Sichuan duck or Tea- smoked Duck.

Requirements :

Flour – 2 ½ cup

Instant yeast – 1 ½ tbs

Sugar – 2 tbs

Salt – 1 tbs

Warm water – 1 ¼  cup

Groundnut oil / vegetable oil – 2 tbs

Method :

Mix together flour , salt , sugar and instant yeast.

Add the warm water and make the dough.

Knead the dough well till it becomes smooth and soft.

add a spoon of oil and knead again for five minutes. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it.

Let the dough rest for an hour or more till it doubles.

Take the dough out and sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead once. 

Roll the dough into a log of 1.5 Inch in diameter.

Using a sharp knife cut out the ends , i used these too to  make buns.

Cut the remaining log into equal parts - these has the characteristic Mantou shape. 

I used steel steamer for steaming the buns. You can use Bamboo steamer as in chinese cuisine or a wok or kadai or deep pan .

Place the shaped buns on the plate which is to be used in the steamer. Brush little oil on the plate before placing the buns. 

Let it rest for another 10 to 15 minutes , by this time the buns will be fluffy.

Add water to the steamer and boil in high flame for about five minutes . Place the plate with the buns on the steamer and cook for 10 minutes. 

Switch off flame and let the buns cool for five minutes .

Mantou are ready to be served .

Serve the steamed buns plain or with a spicy curry .

These buns tasted same as Dinner rolls but there is no brown colour of the buns as in baked one.......

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Drumstick Leaves Fried Rice

    Fried rice be it a simple or with lots of vegetables were my choice than a meal with number of sides. I prefer one pot meals , as it is easy to make as well as we can try with numerous combinations.This rice is a simple yet healthy and delicious.

  This rice is made with Indian ingredients with a chinese touch. It would be perfect lunchbox recipe.

  Drumstick leaves available everywhere in south India , each and every home mostly have a drumstick tree in their backyard. These leaves are rich in iron and is especially recommended to anaemic persons. 

     Check my other version of drumstick leaves rice here.

 Requirements :

2 cup cooked rice

1 cup drumstick leaves

1 tsp oil

3 cloves garlic

One Slit green chili

1 tbs soy sauce

½ tbs green chilli sauce

salt  to taste ( optional )

Method :

Wash the drumstick leaves and pat dry. Peel and chop garlic.

Heat  the wok / kadai , add in the oil.

Add the chopped garlic  , green chilli and sauté for a minute.

Add in the drumstick leaves and stir till the leaves shrink and moisture goes off.

Now , add the soy sauce and green chilli sauce mix well.

If using salt add at this time and mix well. I didn’t add salt as the soy sauce has some salt.

 Add the cooked rice and toss / stir for five minutes.

Drumstick fried rice is ready to be served.

Serve along with any Manchurian dish.

Chinese Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a large variety of filled , rolled appetizers. The kind of wrapper , fillings and cooking techniques used  , as well as the name , vary considerably within this large area.

In Chinese cuisine , spring rolls are savory rolls with cabbage and other vegetables inside from areas such as Zhejiang in eastern china and northern china . They are usually eaten during the spring festival in china , hence the name.

 The process may seems difficult , but it was simple to make with few ingredients.

I made these spring rolls from scratch. It can be made from store bought spring roll sheet. It is an excellent appetizer.

Requirements :

For spring roll sheet :

All purpose flour – 2 cup

Salt as required

Oil -2 tsp

Water – 1 cup

For Filling :

Cabbage – ½ cup

Capsicum – ¼ cup

Carrot – ½ cup

Soya sauce – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Onion – ¼ cup

Oil – 1 tsp

Method :

For the dough :

Mix the all purpose flour, salt, oil and required water.

Knead well to make soft and smooth dough.

Let the dough rest for ten minutes.

For filling:

Chop all the vegetables to fine sticks.

Heat oil, add the onion and sauté well.

 Add the carrot, cabbage and capsicum. Sauté well.

Sauté  this for ten minutes.

Add the required salt and pepper powder , mix well.

Add in the soya sauce and sauté for a minute in high flame.

Take off from flame and let it cool.

Making of spring Rolls :

Make the dough into small balls.

Roll into thin sheets with the rolling pin.

Place a spoon of the filling in one end.

Fold the sides inwards and roll towards the other end.

Stick the end by the paste made of flour and water.

Repeat the same for the remaining dough.

Heat oil in a pan, reduce the flame to medium.

Deep fry the spring rolls till golden brown.

Spring rolls is ready to serve.

 Serve with Tomato sauce .

Peanut Dumplings – With Ginger Syrup

  Dumplings are cooked ball of dough , which can  be steamed , boiled , fried or baked. They may have a filling or there  may be other ingredients mixed into the dough.

  Dumpling may be sweet or savoury. The dumplings are made of all purpose flour. Another type is made of glutinous rice flour. Usually , the glutinous rice dumplings Zongzi  are triangle or cone shaped can be filled with red bean paste , Chinese dates or cured meat depending on the region. Glutinous rice dumplings are traditionally eaten during the Duanwu festival.

 Sweet dumplings is called as Tangyuan. These are smaller dumplings made with glutinous rice flour and filled with sweet sesame  , peanut or red bean paste. This is eaten on the 15 th day of the Chinese New Year or the Lantern festival.

 These peanut dumplings are a popular recipe served with ginger syrup.

  Peanuts are rich in nutrients providing over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. It is a good source of niacin , folate , fiber , vitamin E, magnesium , protein and phosphorous.

 Usually glutinous rice flour is used , as I didn’t find them , I used the normal rice flour.

 This dish is similar to our kozukkatai / modak which we prepare here in India.

 It is simple , healthy and easy to make snack / dessert.

Requirement :

Rice flour – 2 cup

Water – ¾ - 1 cup

Salt a pinch

Filling :

Roasted groundnut – 1 cup

Sugar / Brown sugar – ¼ cup

Peanut butter – 1 tbs ( optional )

Ginger Syrup :

 Water – 4 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Chopped Ginger – 1 tbs

Pandan Leaf ( optional )

Method :

Dough :

Lightly warm the water and add to the rice flour to make a soft and smooth dough.

If using glutinous rice no need of heating the water.

Cover the dough to avoid drying.

Filling :

 Grind the peanut , brown sugar together and mix in the peanut butter.

Make into small marble sized balls.

Ginger Syrup :

Bring the 4 cup water to boil .

Add the chopped ginger and let it simmer till reduced to 3 cup of water.

Add the sugar and mix well.

Let it boil for ten minutes.

Shaping of the Dumplings :

Make the rice dough into small balls.

Take a ball and flatten in the palm, place the filling in the middle of the flattened ball.

Fold the edges to seal the dumpling.

Lightly roll into a sphere shape using both palms.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Do these while the syrup is boiling.

Boil another pan of about 4 cups of water , drop the prepared dumplings into the hot boiling water.

Don’t stir , as there is chance of breaking the dumplings.

 As soon as the dumplings are cooked , they will float on top, transfer them into the boiling ginger syrup.

Serve the peanut dumplings along with the syrup immediately.

Peanut dumpling with Ginger syrup is ready to serve.

Note :

If peanut butter is not available , it can be avoided. Use little water to make the peanut filling sticky.

The dumpling has to be served immediately to enjoy its softness. As time passes , it becomes bit hard, even though I liked it.