These Vegan Chinese Steamed Buns required minimal ingredients to make and serve as a lovely breakfast, snack and dessert. These buns are filled with a sweetened red bean paste that is not overly sweetened. It is great for Lunar New Year coming up and for families!
Our cup holder tray would be moved from our kitchen counter to our dinner table in the living room. My mom would dust the counter with flour as she divides the dough needed to make her steamed buns.
Her wooden rolling pin and square parchment paper would lay beside her metal mixing bowl with the dough covered with a wet kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out. I would stand close by watching her roll each divided dough out, adding the filling and carefully rolling it back into a circular shape. She would place the finished, rolled dough onto a square parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the steamer basket later on.
She looks relaxed as she prepared each steamed bun, knowing my siblings, dad, and I would be able to eat it right after. No matter what meal she prepares, she would always let us eat first, wanting to clean up the kitchen before she eats and wanting us to have the freshest homemade food as possible. I didn’t think much about the time and effort it takes to prepare the steamed buns or any other dishes she makes until I made them my own, sometimes taking double the time she would take to make them. Making my mom’s recipes and now knowing how much work it requires to make them, makes me appreciate not only the recipe more but also my mom, who decided to become a housewife rather than working so that she can focus entirely on taking care of my siblings and I.
As I was making these red bean steamed buns, I thought about my mom and everything happening around the world, how scary it can be at times, and all the unknowns. Even though there are a lot of things we might be able to control, one thing we always have is love. I thought about the love my mom has for our family, the love we have for ourselves, family, friends, and people around the world. I don’t have the answer to everything, but I know that when we give love, that love continues to grow and multiply.
With Lunar New Year (year of the cow) and Valentine’s Day around the corner, I made these Cow Steamed Buns with Red Bean Filling that is great for families and children. If you are ready to make these steamed buns, let’s start baking!
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These Vegan Chinese Steamed Buns required minimal ingredients to make and serve as a lovely breakfast, snack and dessert. These buns are filled with a sweetened red bean paste that is not overly sweetened. It is great for Lunar New Year coming up and for families!
Ingredients
Dough
-1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour
-1 tbsp (15g) organic granulated sugar
-½ tsp (7g) active dry yeast
-⅓ cup (80ml) full-fat, coconut milk, room temperature
Filling
-210g (8 ½ tbsp) prepared sweetened red bean paste
Others
-½ tbsp white vinegar
-Pink and Black Natural Vegan Food Coloring
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well-combined.
- Add in the coconut milk and knead the dough until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, roll 1 ½ tablespoon of the sweetened red bean into a ball. Place in the fridge until the dough is ready.
- Once the dough has risen, reserve 60g of the dough, roll it into a ball, and set it aside. Divide the remaining dough into about 80g sized balls. Place the divided dough back into the bowl and cover with a wet towel to prevent the dough from drying out.
- Divide the reserved 60g dough into three 20g ball of dough. Add a couple drops of the black food coloring into one dough. Knead until all the color is incorporated and the dough appears black. Add more of the black food coloring until you achieve the color you want. Repeat the step with the pink natural. Leave the remaining white dough aside.
- Dust a clean surface with flour. Take 1 of the large dough from the mixing bowl and roll into about 3-4 inch sized circles. Place one of the rolled red bean paste balls to the center of the dough. Roll the dough back up to a circular shape.
- Take 2 small pieces of the white dough and roll into an oval shape. Brush the larger dough with some water. Add the 2 white doughs to the upper right and left sides of the dough; this will be the ears of the cow). Take a couple pieces of the black dough and roll into uneven shapes. Add to the larger dough to serve as spots for the cow. Take 2 very tiny black dough and roll it into a ball. Add to the center of the larger dough to serve as the eyes for the cow. Take a small piece of the pink dough and roll it into an oval shape. Poke two holes to serve as the cow’s nose. Add to the center of the larger dough. Add the finished dough to a steamer basket lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each dough. Repeat this step with the remaining large dough.
- Add some water and the white vinegar to a large pan or pot. Bring to a boil. Add the steamer basket filled with the cow buns to the pan or pot. Lower the heat to medium and allow the buns to cook for 8 minutes. Once the dough is ready, be sure NOT to open the lid right away to prevent the cooked steamed buns’ skin from wrinkling. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes before lifting up the cover.
- Serve and enjoy!
Keywords: steamed buns, buns, red bean paste, vegan, Lunar New Year
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