Gua Bao / Steamed Bao Buns stuffed with Sticky Chicken and Pickled Vegetables

 

Gua bao also known as Bao bun or Pork belly buns or lotus leaf buns are very popular all over China. It’s very popular street food of Taiwan.  It’s a complete meal, the soft fluffy buns are served usually with pork belly but it’s also served with chicken and pickled vegetables. 

For Steamed Bao Buns 

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 

1 tbsp Active Yeast

2 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a cup, add the warm water, 1 tbsp sugar and active yeast. Stir and keep the yeast to rise. Add the milk and 1 tbsp oil in the yeast. Whisk the yeast. Take a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and remaining sugar. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the liquid. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for 10 minutes. If required add little more water, it should be a soft - stretchy dough. Apply the remaining oil on the dough, cover and keep it aside for 1 to 2 hours or until it rises doubled in size. Open the lid of the bowl, punch the dough and gently knead it for a minute. Roll out the dough into a disc, take a round cutter, and make medium size round disc. Remove the excess dough. Now fold the disc into half, and gently press the bun, with the roller. Repeat the process for other buns. Place the buns on a small butter paper, cover the buns and let the buns rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, add water and let the water boil. Place the buns into the steamer vessel along with the butter paper, keeping little distance between the 2 buns. Cover the steamer and let it steam for 10 minutes. Once done switch off the flame and open the lid, let the buns remain in the steamer for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Pickled Vegetables 

Ingredients 

A small piece of Carrot cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Cucumber cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Capsicum cut into thin strips

A small piece of Red Cabbage sliced 

Few Coriander leaves 

2 tbsp White Vinegar 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients together and let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours 

Sticky Chicken 

Ingredients 

200 grams Boneless Chicken cut into pieces 

1 tsp Garlic minced

1/2 tsp Ginger minced 

1 tbsp Soya sauce 

2 tsp Red Chilli sauce 

1 tsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tsp Fish Sauce 

1 tsp Vinegar 

2 tbsp Honey 

1 tbsp Sesame Oil 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder 

1 tsp Roasted Sesame seeds 

Method 

Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients, together, except sesame seeds, keep it for an hour. Take a wok, add the marinated chicken, and cook the chicken until the chicken has become soft and the juices has dried up. Switch off the flame. Add the sesame seeds over the chicken. 

To Assemble - 

Take a bun, add a tbsp spoon of the chicken in the middle of the bun, add some pickled vegetables and some coriander leaves or spring onions. Serve the buns and enjoy! 

DescriptionParchment paper, and place it on a tray, cover the buns and let it rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, boil the water in the steamer. Place the buns along with the butter paper into the steamer. Cover the lid and steam the buns for 10 minutes. Once done, switch off the flame and open the lid and let it stand for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Grilled Pomfret served with Sautéed Vegetables - Mashed Potato and Butter Lemon Sauce

 

We enjoy having continental dinner once in a while. Let’s see how it’s made.. 

Butter Lemon Sauce

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Flour

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp dried Parsley 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

1 cup Milk

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a pan, add butter, let it melt, add flour, sauté it for few seconds, add milk little at a time and keep on stirring so that no lump forms. As the sauce thickens, add salt, pepper and parsley. Switch off the flame. Let the sauce cool down. Add the lemon juice and stir. 

Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients 

2 big size boiled potatoes mashed 

2 tbsp Fresh Cream

1 tsp Butter 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients into a bowl and mix all the ingredients very well. 

Sautéed Vegetables 

Ingredients 

4 to 5 medium size Cauliflower florets 

Few French Beans

1 medium size Carrots cut into thick strips

1 small size  Sweet Potato cut into thick strips 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a pot, add water and salt into the pot, add the vegetables, let the vegetables boil until it’s cooked, drain the water out, take a pan, add butter, let the butter melt. Sauté the vegetables for a minute, add pepper powder and switch off the flame. 

For the Grilled Pomfret 

Ingredients 

3 Whole cleaned Pomfrets 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Garlic paste 

1 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil 

Method 

Marinate the fish with salt, pepper, garlic paste and lemon juice and keep it for 30 minutes. Take a grill pan, apply butter or oil on the grill pan, place the pomfrets. Cook the pomfrets until brown on both the sides. 

To Assemble - 

Take a plate. Place the grilled pomfret on the plate. Place some sautéed vegetables and some mashed potatoes. Pour the lemon butter sauce over the fish. Garnish with a piece of tomato and parsley.. 

Chikoo and Almond Milkshake

 

Some days are to laze around.... today is one such day, enjoyed the afternoon with this shake.... 

Ingredients 

4 to 5 Chikoo, peeled and deseeded 

1 cup of Milk / Almond milk 

2 tbsp roasted Almond powder 

Pinch of Chocolate powder for garnish 

2 tsp Honey 

Few Ice cubes 

2 scoops of Roasted Almond Ice  -  cream

Method 

Take a blender, add the chikoo, milk, almond powder, honey, ice cubes, 1 scoop of the ice cream... blend all the ingredients together. Pour in a glass and add a scoop of the ice cream. Sprinkle chocolate powder from top... 

Coxinha - Brazilian Chicken Croquettes

Coxinha is a popular ingenious street food in Brazil. It’s a savoury snacks made with dough filled with creamy chicken stuffing. It’s dipped in egg and coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried. 

It can be easily made at home. It’s delicious. 

Recipe adapted from tasty.. 

For the Chicken Stuffing 

Ingredients 

1 cup of boiled shredded Chicken

2 Garlic cloves minced 

1 small Onion chopped 

1 tsp chopped Parsley 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

2 tbsp Cream Cheese

1 tsp Oil 

Method 

Take a pot, heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, sauté the ingredients until soft and brown in colour. Add the shredded chicken, salt, and pepper. Stir and mix the ingredients together. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add parsley and cream cheese into the bowl and mx it. 

To Make the Dough

Ingredients 

1 cup All Purpose Flour 

1/2 tbsp Butter

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Chicken broth

Method 

Take a pot, add the butter, chicken broth and milk. Let it boil, add the flour, stir and make it into a dough, switch off the flame, let it cool a bit, once easy to handle, knead the dough well. 

To make the Coxinha

Ingredients 

Chicken stuffing 

Dough 

1 Egg beaten 

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs 

Oil for frying 

Method 

Take a lemon size portion of the dough, roll the dough. Make a cavity in the center of the dough, add a spoonful of the chicken stuffing. Give the dough a pear shape. Repeat the process. Dip the Coxinha into the egg and then coat it with the bread crumbs. Repeat the process.  Heat the oil.  Deep fry the Coxinha until golden brown in colour. Remove them on a paper towel and serve them hot. 

Soya Chunks Biriyani

Soya Chunks if made properly can easily  replace meat .. There are many recipes that we can make with Soya Chunks. Here I have made Biriyani using Soya Chunks.  It’s ideally made on a veg day in my house.. its served with raita. 

To Marinate the Soya Chunks 

Ingredients 

200 grams Soya Chunks boiled, washed and water drained out 

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Fresh Chilli paste 

1 tbsp sliced fried Onion 

1/2 cup Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

Method 

Take a bowl, add in all the above ingredients, mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside for 1 hour. 

To Make the Rice

Ingredients 

250 grams / 1 cup Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes and water drained out

1/2 tsp Caraway seeds / Shahi Jeera

Few Pepper Corns

1 Star Anise

1 Green Cardamom 

2 Cloves

1 small piece Cinnamon 

2 Bay Leaves 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a pot, add 2 cups water, let the water boil, add the spices, bay leaves and the salt. Now add the rice. Let the rice cook until it’s 80 percent done. Once done switch off the flames. Add a cup of water and drain the water out from the rice. 

To make the Soya Chunks Biriyani 

Ingredients 

Marinated Soya Chunks 

6 to 8 small size Potatoes peeled

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1 tbsp sliced fried Onion

Salt to salt 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Pinch of Saffron 

1/4 tsp Rose Water

1/4 tsp Kewra Water

1 drop of Biriyani flavoured Essence - optional 

1 cup Milk 

6 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a heavy cast iron pot, add 4 tbsp Ghee, let it heat, on a low flame, add the potatoes, little  salt and turmeric powder. Sauté and fry the potatoes. 

Meanwhile take a hot cup of milk, add saffron, rose water, Kewra water and Biriyani essence. Once the potatoes are fried, add the marinated soya chunks. Stir and cook for a minute. Add 1/3 cup of milk, now add the cooked rice and spread the rice well, pour the milk, remaining ghee, sprinkle the fried onion and coriander leaves. Cover and let it cook on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid in the Biriyani should dry up. Switch off the flame, don’t open the pot, wait for 15 to 20 minutes and then serve with raita of your choice.