STEAMED PAUS-PLAIN PINK COLOURED MANTOU

In fact, I have no plans to share this recipe, a plain mantou recipe.  That is the reason why I did not snap any step by step preparation pictures.  This mantous are soft, spongy, fluffy and chewy.  It is also not difficult to make.  The most crucial point is to make sure that the dough is well kneaded until pliable and window pane stage.  You can omit the coconut milk powder.  The mantous are not sweet and can be served with savoury dishes like braised meat or just taken plan.

Actually, it is quite similar to Mi Koo [Steamed Pink Buns], but this recipe uses less sugar and instant yeast.  Try using this recipe if you prefer a low sugar and low yeast recipe.  The mantous do turned out good.

ngredients

[makes 8-9 Buns]

500 gm low protein flour or pau flour

2 tbsp coconut milk powder

6 gm instant yeast

50 gm castor sugar

1/4 tsp salt

290 ml lukewarm water

some extra water if dough is too dry

1 tsp shortening [optional]

some cornstarch flour for coating

1. In a big bowl, put in all the dry ingredients [except cornstarch flour] and water.  Mix ingredients with a pair of chopstick.  Mix and knead with hand into soft, rough dough. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in shortening if using.  Continue to mix and knead with hand using a combination of motion [knead, rub, pull and roll] until soft, smooth and elastic [about 20 minutes].  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest until double in size.  This takes about 10 minutes.
3. The proof dough has lots of small air pockets. Punch down and knead for another 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Divide into 8 equal portions [depends on how big you wish to make the buns].  Roll each portion into balls.  Coat with some cornstarch flour. Place buns on a parchment paper. Arrange in a steaming tray, cover to proof until double in size about 20-30 minutes.
4. Brush dough with some pink colouring water [mix pink colouring with some water] before steaming.
5. Bring water to boil in a steamer.
6. Steamed buns in steamer over high heat for 20 minutes.  Off heat, leave buns in steamer for 5 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.

2021 KUIH EE [GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS]

2021 Winter Solstice [Dongzhi Festival], I prepared these glutinous rice balls in sweet syrup. A little different from the past Kuih Ee [Tang Yuan 汤圆 ] that I have prepared. There are various versions to make them and unending recipes to follow. All turned out to be cute lovely round Tang Yuan, that are chewy and  edible.  Great to enjoy with the sweet, gingery flavour soup.  Ample choice of recipes that you can follow.

The difference here is mainly the syrup, which uses Brown Sugar In Pieces [冰片糖]. For those who are not familiar with this type of sugar, below is a description which I have obtained from Google: "Brown sugar in pieces is a traditional sugar used for desserts in Southern China. These delicious bars of Brown Sugar are made from sugar cane which enhances the colours and flavour of Chinese style desserts. The ingredients are Cane Sugar (85%) and Water.

For this recipe, I have used 2 pieces with about 800 ml water.   It is rather sweet but goes well with the kuih ee.  Just adjust the water portion to suit you preference for the sweetness that is acceptable to you.

This recipe is adapted from K L Liew Youtube Video with slight modifications.

Ingredients for Syrup

800 ml water or more according to preference

2 pieces of the brown sugar in pieces 

4-5 blades of screwpine [pandan] leaves

a few slices of ginger

1. Bring water, pandan leaves and ginger to boil in a soup pot until aromatic.  Add in the sugar and continue to boil until sugar dissolves.  Taste to adjust the sweetness according to your preference [the sweetness should be able to flavour the glutinous rice balls].  Leave to cool before use, then remove the pandan leaves and ginger slices.  

Ingredients For 5-Colour Glutinous Rice Balls [Tang Yuan]

300 gm glutinous rice flour [+-]

10 gm rice flour + 100 gm water [to be cooked]

pink colouring

green colour - 5-6 pieces screwpine leaves + 100 ml water

yellow colour - 50 gm pumpkin puree

blue colour - 50 pieces blue pea flower [bunga telang] + 100 ml water

50 ml water or more to knead into a soft and pliable dough

1. Blend screwpine leaves with water.  Squeezed and strained to obtain the pandan juice.  Set aside.
2. Boil blue pea flowers with water until it is of dark blue colour [indigo colour].  Strain away the flowers to obtain the blue solution.  Set aside until required.
3. Mix rice flour with water in a small saucepan.  Boil over low heat, stirring constantly into a thick paste of runny consistency.  Immediately, mix into  the glutinous flour.  Rub with your finger tips.  Divide into 5 equal portions [estimate amount].
4. Take one portion of the flour, add the pandan water gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may not use up all the pandan juice.
5. Take one portion of the flour, add the blue pea flower water gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may not use up all the blue colour water juice.
6. Take one portion of the flour, add the pumpkin puree gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may need to add some water if it is too dry.
7. Mix the remaining flour with about 50 ml water or more into a soft and pliable dough.  Divide into 2 portions.  Set aside one portion for white colour and add a drop of pink colouring to the remaining portion.  Knead until the dough is pink in colour.
8. NOTE: you may have to add a little more glutinous flour if the dough is too wet, soft and sticky.
9. Shaping of Kuih Ee [Tang Yuan] - take a portion and divide it into smaller portions and roll each one into a round ball.  Place in a tray or plate.  Do the same until all the dough are shaped into round balls.
10. To Cook The Rice Balls - Bring a big pot of water to boil then drop in the shaped rice balls in batches to cook.  Once the rice balls floats up, they are cooked.  Use a serrated ladle to remove them and drop them into a pot of cooled boiled water before dropping them into the syrup.
11. Scoop tang yuan into small bowls to serve.

STEAMED PLAIN CHINESE BUNS [MANTOU]

These buns [mantou] are quite similar to the Chinese Red Buns [Mi Koo or Tortoise Buns]. The difference is, it is not that sweet, plain and less ingredients used to make them. Yet they are as good, texture is fine, soft, light, fluffy and chewy.  The sugar added is to aid in fermentation of the dough.

It can be eaten plain or good to serve with dishes like braised meat and perhaps curries etc. I ate it with ham.

Ingredients

[makes 8-9 Buns]

500 gm low protein flour or pau flour

5-6 gm instant yeast

1 tbsp sugar [I used 30 gm]

270 ml lukewarm water

some extra water if dough is too dry

1 tsp shortening [optional]

1. In a big bowl, put in flour, yeast, sugar and water.  Mix ingredients with a pair of chopstick.  Mix and knead with hand into soft dough. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in shortening if using.  Continue to mix and knead with hand using a combination of motion [knead, rub, pull and roll] until soft, smooth and elastic [about 20 minutes].  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest until double in size.
3. The proof dough has lots of small air pockets. Punch down and knead for another 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Divide into 8 or 9 equal portions [depends on how big you wish to make the buns].  Roll each portion into balls.  Place buns on a parchment paper. Arrange in a steaming tray Cover to proof until double in size about 20-30 minutes.
4. Bring water to boil in a steamer.
5. Steamed buns in steamer over high heat for 15-20 minutes.  Off heat, leave buns in steamer for 5 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.

STEAMED PULL APART EGG BUNS

This is the first time I made this kind of 'bread' with no water but eggs. It is not baked but steamed. Not sure what to call it, steamed bun-texture not like Chinese buns or paus, steamed bread-texture looks like bread but most bread are baked. Anyway, whatever it is called, I can only say that it is sort of pull apart buns, light, fluffy, soft and texture is fine. Nice colour and not sweet like most buns. 

My hubby said it is nice and suggested that it would be great if some dried fruits like raisins, cranberries are added and maybe some chopped ham pieces. Idea noted. probably, I will make another with these additions. But, I need to share that with all eggs and no water, the dough is rather sticky to knead with hand. I suggest to gradually add the eggs in batches. It may not be too sticky and difficult to knead with hand.

Ingredients

300 gm low protein flour or pau flour 

3 gm instant yeast

30 gm castor sugar

3 eggs [about 160-170 gm]

30 ml melted butter or corn oil

some extra beaten egg for glazing

some honey for glazing

some toasted sesame seeds or dessicated coconut

1. In a big bowl, put in flour, yeast and add in eggs.  Mix ingredients with a pair of chopstick.  Mix and knead with hand into  rough dough. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add in melted butter or corn oil.  Continue to mix and knead with hand until soft, smooth and elastic [about 20 minutes].  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest until double in size.
3. Punch down and knead for another 5-10 minutes.  Divide into 8 equal portions.  Roll each portion into small balls.  Arrange dough in a greased 7-8 inch  round baking tin.  Cover with cling wrap and leave to proof until double in size.
4. Bring water to boil in a steamer.
5. Remove cling wrap, brush with egg glaze.  Cover with cling wrap.
6. Steamed dough in steamer over high heat for 40 minutes.  
7. Removed from steamer, remove cling wrap and brush with some honey.  sprinkle sesame seeds or dessicated coconut [I sprinkle sesame seeds after brushing egg glaze].  Dislodge buns from baking tin to cool on wire rack.