The Indian Weekender, Friday 21 August 2020

The Indian Weekender Friday, August 21, 2020
FEATURES 17
KOREAN CHICKEN BAO BUNS
Tofu Bao Buns
INGREDIENTS:
FOR BUNS
• 450gm - flour
• 1/2tsp - salt
• 210ml - water, warm
• 2tbsp - castor sugar
• 2tsp - dry yeast
• 3tbsp - milk, room temperature
• 3tbsp - butter, room temperature
• FOR TOFU
• INGREDIENTS:
• 200gm - tofu, organic
• 1/2cup - gochujang sauce
• 1cup - spring onions, chopped
• 2tbsp - ginger paste
• 2tsp - garlic paste
• 1/4cup - sugar
• 1/4cup - soy sauce
• 1/4cup - dark soy sauce
• 2tbsp - Chinese five spice or 1tsp - red chilli powder
TO ASSEMBLE:
• 1cup - salad (Super slaw with beetroot, carrot, Italian
parsley).
• 2tbsp - sesame seeds
• Hoisin sauce, optional
• Few chopsticks
METHOD:
• In a medium bowl add flour and salt, mix well using
the fork.
• In a seperate bowl add water, sugar and dry yeast, mix
until incorporated.
• Add milk and melted butter to the yeast mixture and
mix it with the fork.
• Pour water mixture onto the flour mix and knead it into
a pliable dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and
knead for 10-15 mins, or until smooth.
• Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth
and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
FOR TOFU
METHOD
• Cut tofu into long strips and set aside.
• In a medium size bowl add gochujang, chopped spring
onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, sugar, soy sauce,
dark soy sauce and Chinese five spice, mix well with
the fork.
• Pour the mixture onto the tofu and make sure all the
pieces are well covered.
• Cover and keep aside for 1 hour to marinate.
FOR DOUGH
• Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead
for 5 mins.
• Divide it into 20 equal size balls.
• In the palm of your hand, roll each piece of dough into
a ball and leave to rest for 2-3 mins.
• Use a rolling pin to roll out each ball, one by one, into
an oval shape about 3-4mm thickness.
• Rub the surface of the dough ovals with oil and brush
a little oil over a chopstick.
• Place the oiled chopstick in the centre of each oval.
• Fold the dough over the chopstick, then slowly pull out
the chopstick.
• Cut 20 squares of baking parchment and put a bun on
each.
• Transfer to a baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel
or lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove in a warm
place for 1 hr 30 mins, or until doubled in size.
• Heat a large steamer over a medium-high flame.
• Steam the buns for 8 minutes or until puffed up (In a
small steamer you’ll need to do this in batches). Set
aside.
FOR TOFU
• Heat frypan over medium flame, fry tofu in batches
along with its sauce until the edges are brown on both
the sides.
• Transfer fried tofu onto a plate.
TO ASSEMBLE
• Prise open each bun and spread some hoisin sauce.
• Fill with tofu and salad and sprinkle some sesame
seeds on top.
• Eat while they are still warm.
• TIP; frozen bao buns can also be used.
• To warm the frozen bao buns or store bought:
• Place the bao into a steamer and cover with the lid.
• Fill a wide saucepan with a 1 inch depth of water and
bring to the boil over a medium flame.
• Turn the flame down to low then place the steamer into
the pan.
• Steam for 5-6 minutes if they were frozen, or 2-3
minutes if they’re fresh.
SHRIMP BAO BUNS
INGREDIENTS:
• 20 - bao buns
• 3 - chicken thighs
FOR MARINATION:
• 240ml - butter milk
• 1/2tsp - salt
• 1/4tsp - white pepper powder
• 1/4tsp - garlic powder
FOR FRYING:
• 180gm - flour
• 1tsp - salt
• 1tsp - black pepper powder
• 1/2tsp - garlic salt
• 1.2tsp - celery salt
• 1tsp - dry thyme
• 1tsp - baking powder
• 1tsp - red chilli powder
• Oil for frying
FOR KOREAN SAUCE:
• 2tbsp - Korean gochujang sauce
• 2tbsp - honey
• 4tbsp - brown sugar
• 4tbsp - dark soy sauce
• 2tsp - garlic paste
• 2tbsp - ginger paste
• 1tbsp - sesame oil
• 2tbsp -vegetable oil
TO ASSEMBLE:
• 1cup - salad ( Super slaw with
beetroot, carrot, Italian parsley ).
• 1 - red onion, small and sliced
• 1tbsp - sesame seeds
• Sriracha sauce, optional
METHOD
• Wash and cut chicken into thin
strips.
• In a large bowl add butter milk,
salt, white pepper powder and
garlic powder, mix well.
• Add chicken, mix well, cover
and keep aside for 2 hours.
• In a seperate bowl add flour,
salt, black pepper powder,
garlic salt, celery salt, dry
theme, baking powder and red
chilli powder, mix well and set
aside.
• Again in a seperate bowl add
Korean sauce, honey, brown
sugar, dark soy sauce, garlic
paste, ginger paste, sesame oil
and vegetable oil. Mix well until
incorporated, cover and keep
aside for later use.
• Heat oil over medium flame for
frying.
• Add marinated chicken to the dry
flour mixture ( Make sure that all
the chicken pieces are well coated
with the dry mixture ).
• Fry chicken pieces in batches
until brown and crisp on both the
sides, then transfer them into the
bowl.
• Pour Korean sauce over the fried
and hot chicken pieces and mix
until all the pieces are well coated
with the sauce.
TO ASSEMBLE
• Prise open each bun and spread
little sriracha sauce in the inside
of the bun. Optional.
• Fill the bun with chicken, salad
and red onions.
• Sprinkle some sesame seeds on
top.
• Eat while they are still warm.
TIP: Siracha sauce can be the
substitute for gochujang sauce in the
sauce mixture.
INGREDIENTS:
• 12 - bao buns
• 24 - shrimps, large
• 1/4tsp - baking soda
• 11/2tsp - salt or according to taste
• 1/2tsp - sugar
• 1tsp - garlic paste, divided
• 2tbsp - vegetable oil, divided
• 1 - red hot chilli, thinly sliced
• 2 - spring onions, thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
FOR SAUCE:
• 11/2tbsp - sriracha sauce
• 5tbsp - mayonnaise
• 1tsp - lime juice
TO ASSEMBLE:
• 1cup - salad ( Super slaw with beetroot,
carrot, Italian parsley ) or shredded cabbage.
• Pickled cucumber
METHOD
• Shell and devein the shrimps then transfer
them into a bowl.
• Combine shrimp, baking soda, salt, and
sugar in a medium bowl and toss to coat.
• Transfer to refrigerator and allow to rest for
1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine half of garlic and half
of oil in a small bowl. Set aside to baste
shrimps before cooking them.
• Combine remaining garlic, oil, chili, and
spring onions in a large bowl. Set aside.
FOR SAUCE
• Combine sriracha, mayonnaise, and lime
juice in a small bowl and stir ( Add more
sriracha until desired level of spiciness is
achieved ). Cover and refrigerate.
• When shrimps are ready to grill, brush both
sides with garlic and oil mixture.
• Place shrimps directly over hot side of
grill and cook, turning occasionally, until
shrimps are just cooked through and well
charred for 4 to 5 minutes total ( You can
also slightly cook them in the fry pan over
medium flame ).
• Transfer shrimps to bowl along with its
garlic and oil mixture.
• Pour chili and spring onion mixture, toss to
coat.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TO ASSEMBLE
• Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha mayonnaise
on the bottom of each bun.
• Top with pickles and mixed salad ( Shredded
cabbage ).
• Top with 2 shrimp each and close buns.
• Serve immediately.
• TIP; shredded cabbage can be an option for
salad.
• NOTE; Gochujang is a spicy, Korean
fermented chilli paste. It can be found in
many Korean or Chinese grocers and even
in larger supermarkets.
• If you want to make this even easier, you
can buy the ready made Bao Buns from your
local supermarket bakery.