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Teriyaki Chickpeas Bao Buns. Steamed Buns stuffed with Chickpeas in Teriyaki Sauce. Perfect party food. Cook the chickpeas in the Teriyaki sauce, fill the bao, steam the buns and done. Vegan Bao Recipe
These soft steamed buns, Bao or Baozi are a perfect carrier for the strong tasting sauces and veggies and beans. The steaming keeps the buns very soft and moist. Perfect party food!
I filled these up with chickpeas tossed in teriyaki sauce. Use other beans, lentils or finely chopped veggies of choice. Don’t like teriyaki, use other asian sauces like my kung pao sauce or sweet and sour sauce.
They are quite easy to whip up. Make the dough, divide it into equal parts. roll out, fill, seal any way you like, steam and serve! The teriyaki chickpeas can be served with rice as well. You can also use tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, veggies like carrots, broccoli etc instead of chickpeas.Â
Mmmm , look at the cross section! all that soft squishy yummness!
And while you are here. please do nominate your favorite blogs for Saveur food blog awards 2015 here!.
More asian options from the blog.
- Gluten-free Potstickers filled with Sweet & Sour Tempeh
- Kung Pao Lentils
- Vegan Thai Pizza with Gluten-free Crust
- Sweet and Sour Lentils with mango
- Teriyaki Tempeh and Shiitake mushrooms
Steps:
Make teriyaki sauce or use store bought. Toss with the chickpeas and simmer until it forms a glaze.
Proof the yeast, add the dry ingredients and knoead into  soft smooth dough. Let the dough rise. Punch it knowd, knead for  a few seconds. Divide into 10 or more equal parts. Roll each part out into a circle.
Fill each with 2 tablespoons of chickpeas. Close the edges on top with a small hole to allow for the steam to escape. Seal any way you like. I am not that good at shaping them too 🙂 . You can just fold them like calzones and seal with a fork.Â
Place on parchment squares. Place parchment squares on steaming plate with atleast an inch gap between each. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes.Â
I use steel steaming plate and a large pot with a lid, like a pasta pot. The lid has a steam release hole. You can use any steamer apparatus, or use a pressure cooker without the pressure regulator (whistle).
Cool for 2 minutes before serving.
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Teriyaki Chickpeas Bao /Baozi
Ingredients Â
Teriyaki chickpeas
- 1 15 oz can cooked chickpeas, 1.5 cups
- 1 recipe teriyaki sauce , or 1/3 cup store bought
- 1/4 tsp white pepper or use black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped veggies like carrots peppers zucchini mushroom , optional
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Bao - Steamed Bun
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tsp active yeast
- 2 cups flour + more for dusting
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
InstructionsÂ
Teriyaki chickpeas
- Mix the teriyaki sauce ingredient in a bowl and keep aside. Combine the cooked chickpeas, teriyaki sauce and white pepper in a skillet over low-medium heat. (Add veggies if you like) Cover and cook for 10 to 14 minutes or until the sauce thickens and forms a glaze. Mix in the sesame seeds. Cool before using to fill the bao.
- Or serve as is with rice or add to lettuce wraps with shredded carrots, blanched broccoli. etc
Bao Steamed Buns:
- In a bowl combine warm water, sugar and yeast until all the sugar mixes in. Let it sit for 2 minutes or until frothy.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Mix and knead into a smooth dough. 2 to 3 minutes in a stand mixer 4 to 5 minutes by hand. spray oil on top. Cover with a towel and let it rise for an hour.
- Punch it down, knead for a few seconds, then divide dough into 10 or more equal pars. Shape each into a ball then roll it out to a 4 to 5 inch circle.
- Add 2 tablespoons of chickpea filling and close towards the center. Place on parchment squares cut to size for the bao. cover with a towel and work to make the the rest Bao. Let them rise for 10 minutes. Here is a post on how to shape Bao
- Start up the steamer. Once the steamer is ready (water is boiling),Place Bao in steamer basket or tray. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Richa,
Hope you are doing well. I love making Chinese food I’m from Hongkong. This is really easy to make and I’m going to try to make will let you know. Thanks a lot take care regards
I made these the other day and this is what i found:
1. This was easier than expected- the recipe for the dough was perfect! Even when i steamed them, the dough never came a part and kept its shape.
2. The dough, or maybe these buns in general, are quite dough’y in flavour. In other words, even though i rolled them out extra thin, i still found there was a 99% dough flavour that was intense compared to the 1% chickpea flavour. Not sure how to resolve that?
3. The chickpea teriyaki sauce was AMAZING!!! At first i was cooking it on the stove top for 15mins and nothing happened, the sauce never thickened. However, i found once i turned off the flame and just kept it there to cool, the sauce turned into a glaze that i coated on top of the chickpeas.
4. This recipe does take some time to make, but i just prepped other things in the mean time. But do note that you might end up spending 3-4 hours just to allow for all the rising of the dough, and then folding it nicely when you’re ready to steam it
This recipe was great and loved the challenge of it. I was really proud of myself for trying something so new and expanded my cooking skills 🙂
Awesome!! Yes it does take time. The bao are a doughy bun. If you used all purpose flour and steamed long enough then they should be light and like soft buns and not dense or chewy. You can make the buns separately like fold over bao and serve the fillings in them like tacos so you can also serve more filling.
These turned out beautifully! I served them with salad and a spicy peanut sauce. Would just like to know if they’re freezable and at what point would you freeze them? Before or after they’re cooked? Thanks!
I stumbled on your website looking for vegan cookbooks, and I love Indian food. Everything I’ve tried from your cookbook has come out perfect (except for the Dal Kachori, which I made too dry, my fault). Everything I’ve made has been a winner. You’ve gotten me to actually buy cauliflower.
I’m trying the bao tonight. I’ve made them before from a Chinese cookbook, but that was before I was vegan. I’ve been looking for good vegan fillings and this sounds simple and delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!!!
Awesome! for the lentil pastries, you can serve them with chutneys or potato tomato curry, so the dryness wont be a problem.
Hi richa,
Thanks to submit this delectable recipe, but you have used stand mixer in this recipe.
AS I have heard a lot about KitchenAid stand mixer.
Can you just provide me the official website details where I can buy this stand mixer in India?
you can knead it by hand as well. or buy stand mixers that are available in india. Kitchen aid is available as well. https://www.kitchenaidindia.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixers/
Thanks Richa This is such a helpful information, you have given
Delicious! I made them today using chana masala as the filling. Turned out lovely!
so fun! chana masala bao!
I’m going to try to make these tonight! I also preordered your book today! Thanks for all your great recipes.
yay! thank you susan!
I have made these twice now. They are so delicious and good. I have been vegan for a long time now and have tried out many recipes from different vegan chefs. You are by far, my favourite vegan chef. All of your meals are creative and tasty.
yay! so glad you love them and like my creations!!
I made these tonight with white whole wheat flour and a tofu carrot kale filling instead of chickpeas and they were amazing. Probably the best whole wheat bread thingie that Ive ever made. Thanks.
Awesome! yes the steaming keeps the dough moist and not as dense, so these definitely can be made all whole wheat!
I made these today. They tasted good but mine were not so white. More like brownish. Probably the flour I used. I’m sometimes struggling with finding the right ingredients because I live in Germany but I am not German. Somehow they have all kinds of flour, but it seems they do not have regular flour. Maybe it’s just me haha. Anyways, I wasn’t so good at shaping them either, but hey it’s the taste that counts.
I was wondering if the dough can be saved for later. I mean I never eat all 10 of them, but I do not mind eating a couple the next day ;). Maybe in the fridge?
yes, it probably was the flour. so glad they worked out well anyway! you can add more water if needed to make a soft dough. different flours absorb different amount of water.
you can store the steamed bao for 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. reheat in the microwave or steam for a minute and serve.
You can also store the dough after the first rise. Cover and store for upto 2 days. When ready to steam. remove dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for an hour so it comes to room temeprature. then shape and steam as in the steps.
Put a splash of white vinegar in the water bath when steaming. That is the secret to white colored bao.