Have you ever bit into a fluffy, savoury steamed bun at your local dim sum restaurant and thought, how on earth are these made? I marvelled over this question for years before I decided to take on this DIY cooking project at home.
Today, vegetarians and vegans, we’re talking to you! These veggie mushroom baos are 100% vegan and delicious. These baos have been a long time coming with the idea bouncing around my internal kitchen for almost a year. While I loved the thought of these little guys I was a little daunted; I wanted to get the traditional cloud-like dough just right.
But I am also under zero illusions. I know many people shy away from making steamed baos. They’re not the most approachable of at-home Chinese recipes, and, trust me, it can definitely be frustrating when they turn out less than impeccable. But still, it’s a valuable skill to learn and preserve, and, once you’ve learned the basics, you can change up the filling however you want. I’m certainly not a bao-making master, I still find it thrilling to see those fluffy, delicate baos when I lift the steamer cover–a feeling that too few people can relate to!
I am the first to admit my pleating technique is not going to win me any culinary awards but I am giving my self a commendation for effort. At the end of the day it was a fun project and something I have always wanted to try.
I used to eat the pork buns myself and I am so happy I have found a way to enjoy all those drool-inducing flavours using vegetables. Sitting at our Yum Cha session eating my tofu and Chinese broccoli while the others devour sticky buns and steamed dumplings can be challenging. Challenge conquered. These veggie mushroom baos are everything I wanted them to be. An added bonus is that when I don’t have time to make the dough I can quickly enjoy those wonderfully authentic filling flavours on a bed of rice. The mushroom and vegetable filling is ready in no time and is so ridiculously good.
IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! 🙂
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