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Nikuman and yasaiman (pork buns and vegetable buns)
Makes 8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 x quantity filling of your choice, prepared in advance (see recipes, below)
- 200g T55 or Type ‘0’ plain flour
- 2.5g baking powder
- 50ml soy milk
- 45g light brown sugar
- 5g dried yeast
- 1tbsp neutral vegetable oil
Pork bun filling (makes enough for 8 buns)
- 5g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 200g minced pork (preferably belly)
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- 5g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ garlic clove, chopped
- 2tbsp soy sauce
- 1tsp raw sugar such as Demerara
- 1tsp soy sauce
- 1tsp toasted sesame oil
Vegetable bun filling (makes enough for 8 buns)
- 10g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 50g bean vermicelli noodles
- 1tbsp neutral vegetable oil
- 1cm fresh root ginger, finely chopped
- 1 red Asian shallot, finely chopped
- 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 50g spinach leaves, minced
- 2–3 pointed cabbage leaves (approx. 100g), chopped
- 1tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1tsp soy sauce
- 2 pinches sugar
- 1tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2tsp potato starch or cornflour mixed with 1tbsp water
To serve
- dipping sauce made with a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar and Japanese mustard, to taste
Method
Make the filling of your choice and set aside in the fridge (recipes as below).
To make the dough, put the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the soy milk with 65ml hot water (25-40C), then add the sugar, dry yeast and oil and combine.
Gradually add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture, mixing well, first with chopsticks or a fork, then using your hand. Knead for 10 minutes on the work surface until you get a smooth dough.
Form a ball, transfer to a bowl and lightly oil the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 1-2 hours near a radiator or another warm spot (approx. 25-30C) until the dough has doubled.
Cut the dough into 8 equal parts, then shape each piece into 8 round balls. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Flatten each ball with your hand. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out each ball to form 10cm diameter rounds, making sure that the edges are thinner than the middle. Fill each round with around 1 heaped tbsp of filling.
To close the bun, pinch 2cm of the edge of the dough between your fingers, then the next 2cm against the first to form pleats. Continue until the dough is completely closed over the filling. Once the bun is closed, pinch the remaining dough at the top and twist into a spiral shape.
Put each bun on a piece of baking paper in a steamer basket, then cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Steam for 17 minutes over a mediumhigh heat and serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Pork bun filling
Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by soaking in 200ml water for 3 hours. Drain and chop finely.
In a bowl, mix all the gredients thoroughly by hand until you get a sticky texture, then set aside in the fridge until ready to make the buns.
Vegetable bun filling
Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by soaking in 100ml water for 3 hours. Drain over a bowl, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely chop. Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions, then drain and roughly chop.
In a frying pan, heat the oil, ginger and shallot over a medium heat. Add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms and stir for 1 minute. Add the spinach leaves and cabbage and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the noodles, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, a pinch of salt, the sugar and the sesame oil and stir, allowing the liquid to evaporate.
Dissolve the starch or cornflour mix into the bowl of reserved mushroom soaking liquid, then pour into the pan. Stir for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before setting aside in the fridge until ready to make the buns.
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