Tuesday Sundries - Steamed Buns!

I was in college the first time I had anything remotely resembling Asian food. If I remember correctly it was pepper steak. I grew up on good Southern cooking, mainly items which involved frying in Crisco and/or cooking with ham hock or bacon for flavoring.

Please, don't get me wrong. I love it. But we didn't go in for a lot of diversity in our dining except for an occasional trip from Duncanville to Arlington to Caro's Mexican Restaurant where we had puffy nachos (which I have never seen the like since and really miss them).

That being said, over the years I have tried, with encouragement from Savvy, to branch out. She and I can indulge in spicy Chinese dishes, pan-fried dumplings, and try other 'new' items on the menu. Texter is even broadening her palate thanks to her friend who is encouraging her to try new foods.

And since I have been YouTube watching, I decided to give Steamed Buns with Sweet Red Beans and Mochi a try on Monday. A try, as in 'I'm going to make this myself' try.

After a quick stop at a new-to-us Asian Market on Sunday afternoon, I trotted home with red beans and sweet rice flour (not to be confused with rice flour). My beans went into a bowl to soak overnight.

I started the beans to cooking Monday morning and the yeast to doing what yeast does at the same time.

Everything was going nicely. I had rigged a makeshift steamer for the buns (I don't have a real steamer I could use for this where I could put a towel in the top). The dough was complete, the beans nestled inside - 10 round buns ready for steaming.

So I went to go get Savvy so she could be there for the final product and to work on the mochi with me. 

Ten minutes! That's about all it took to go get her and come home. Ten f***ing minutes! And the damn dog ate 8 of the buns sitting on the counter!

Eight unbaked yeast rolls filled with red beans!

I could have killed her and hope she had a massive stomach ache!

But we went ahead and cooked the two remaining buns.

There it is! A perfectly steamed bun!

Texter, Savvy and I gathered around to try the less than perfect bun. Texter and I were 'not bad, but not really crazy about it'. Savvy loved it!

Our thought now is to try other fillings...get a real steamer to use...and lock up the dog!

Then came the mochi.

Well...

Let's say I made molten sea glass (we added a few drops of food coloring).

After contemplating the final results - which was really grainy and not a silken mound - I think where I erred was I still had the towel in the top of the steamer and this needed the water dripping down on it. 

I think. 

Maybe.

Anyway, mochi will be attempted again in the near future, once I get over my 'steamed buns'. Plans are in the work for making our own ramen base, one which involves a process like Pho. And trying other fillings for the steamed buns. 

This is fun!