Both jackfruit and bao buns kept on popping up on my Facebook and Instagram feeds about a month ago. So my self styled Vegan Monday seemed the day to inflict it on the kids.
Ever wary of vegan dishes, they were uncharacteristically unenthusiastic about a Chinese meal. But these were eaten quickly and in silence, with lots of thumbs up gestures, and Big Boy asking when his were all gobbled up to soon, "Delicious. But I thought was Vegan Monday?"
Serves 4 as a light meal
1.5 hours preparation
400g can of jackfruit in water
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 small garlic clove, peeled and grated
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
10cm cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Handful shredded red cabbage
Small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tbsp peanuts, crushed
300g plain flour
2 tsp quick action yeast
120-150ml water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Start 2 hours before you want to eat by mixing the dough ingredients. Start with 120ml water, then add more if the dough is too dry and crumbly, but not so much that it is sticky. Knead for 10 minutes then leave to rise in a greased bowl covered with cling film for 1 hour, or it has doubled in size. I mixed and kneaded my dough on the dough cycle in my bread maker.
Whilst the dough is rising, drain the jackfruit and shred/mash in a bowl. Add all the other sauce ingredients. Cut up the vegetables and crush the peanuts, placing everything in small bowls around your bun assembly area.
When the dough is ready, deflate it, and shape into a fat sausage on a floured surface. Cut into four equal parts, and then each quarter into two, so you have 8 portions. With a rolling pin, roll each portion into a saucer sized circle and leave to rise for 10 minutes.
Boil some water and place a steamer on top of a pan. I used a vegetable steamer and could only get two buns in at one time. Cut some squares of greaseproof paper just slightly bigger than your rolled out buns. Lightly brush the top side of your buns with a little vegetable oil and fold in half. Place as many buns as you can in your steamer without them touching. Steam with a lid on for 10 minutes. I microwaved the jackfruit for 2 minutes whilst waiting for the buns to cook.
Remove the buns carefully from the steamer and load up with fillings and extra chilli sauce as desired.
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