Vegan Mantou Recipe: How to Make Chinese Steamed Buns

For those who love Chinese food but want to follow a vegan diet, here's our vegan mantou recipe.

Mantou, in Chinese 馒头, is a staple of northern Chinese cuisine. In English it is known as a a Chinese steamed bun: a soft bun made out of white wheat flour.

In this piece, we will cover a vegan Chinese steamed buns recipe and give tips on what you can pair your vegan mantou with. 

Vegan Mantou Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water to dissolve the yeast
• 2/3 cup warm water for the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions: 

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. 
2. Add the flour to a bowl and mix it with the yeast, then slowly incorporate the rest of the water.
3. Sprinkle in the salt and knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth.
4. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a dishtowel. Leave to rest in a warm, dry place until it triples in volume (around 90 minutes).
5. Knead once more for 8 minutes, slowly mixing in the baking powder.
6. Divide and form balls out of 12 equal pieces of dough. Place the balls on parchment paper, cover and leave to rise again for 20 minutes.
7. Steam for 15 minutes. Use a bamboo basket if you have one.

Mantou Variations

If you are looking to experiment, there are many ways to vary this vegan mantou recipe. For instance, you can add cooked taro, sweet potato, or pumpkin to the dough. You can also even add fillings like matcha, red bean paste, crushed peanuts and sugar, mango sauce or dried mango, or black sesame seed paste.

Mantou can also be barbecued by slicing each bun into two or three slices and covering with a thin layer of Chinese barbecue sauce on one side.

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What to Serve With Mantou?

Mantou can be served in place of rice or noodles but also to accompany a meal, breakfast, or afternoon snack. In Beijing, for instance, a traditional breakfast calls for steamed mantou paired with pickled veggies on the side. Common choices include pickled radish, spicy kimchi cabbage, or fermented tofu.

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Popular with kids and those with a sweet tooth, mantou can be served with a vegan condensed milk substitute for dipping.

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Tags: Guide recipe Vegan