My boyfriend loves steam buns! So, as a special treat, I’ve decided to make him some super healthy (and yummy) 100% vegan steamed buns. They’re quite simple to make (though very time consuming) and I love folding them into cute steamed bun shapes. I normally avoid bread because it doesn’t digest as well as less processed foods, but these are a wonderful dinner/snack option and very fun to make if you have about five hours to kill. I got the dough recipe from this site, and changed it very slightly.

Vegan Steamed Buns

Dough (Makes 24 buns):

1 tbsp dry active yeast

1/2c organic white whole wheat flour

1 tsp organic cane sugar

1/2c warm water

1. Mix these ingredients and let sit to proof the yeast for about half an hour.

~2c organic white whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons organic cane sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

2. Add these ingredients in after the yeast has been proofed. You may need a bit more flour if your dough is too sticky. Knead the dough until it is smooth, then place in a floured and covered bowl for 3 hours. Use some of this time to prep the filling (below) and give it time to marinate.

3. After the dough has tripled in size, add 1/2 tsp baking powder to the dough and knead it on a floured board for 5 minutes. Cut the dough in half and then cut the halves into 12 parts each, leaving you 24 balls of dough. Place the dough balls on parchment paper, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Filling:

8 oz mushrooms, chopped finely

1 small head of broccoli, chopped finely

1 large carrot, grated

1 zucchini, chopped finely

2 spring onions, chopped finely

1/3c vegan honey flavored agave nectar

3 tbsp tamari

3 tbsp ginger, minced

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp garlic sriracha

Mix all ingredients and cover in a large bowl. Refrigerate until dough is finished, mixing every so often to ensure even coating of vegetables.

Once the dough is ready, flatten the dough balls and use a rolling pin to make little pancakes out of them.

Place the dough in your palm and fill it with the filling (I used a fork so I only got the veggies and not too much sauce, since they will leak).

Begin to fold the dumplings by using your fingers to pinch the edges together like so, working around the dumpling:

(Try to leave a little bit of an air pocket at the end to allow steam to escape the bun)

After your steam bun has been folded up nicely, place on a piece of parchment paper and put in the steamer compartment of your rice cooker for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Make sure to give them space to expand, and do not cover all the holes so steam will be able to reach the buns.

Enjoy! You can also fill these with jelly (I got curious), or anything else you’d like!

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Also see: Korean Dumpling (Mandu) Recipe

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Photo: Jessica Ferguson