Vegan Puto Pao
Servings 24 pieces
Equipment
- bamboo or stainless steamer
- soup pot / wok (for your bamboo steamer to rest on top)
- heat-friendly silicone cupcake cups
- Mixing bowls
- spatulas & whisks
- sauté pan
- pastry brush
- measuring cup / food scale
Ingredients
FOR THE PUTO BATTER
- 400 g (3 cups + 3½ tbsp) unbleached all purpose flour sifted
- 80 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar sifted
- 1½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1⅓ cup (11 fl oz.) unsweetened plant milk (I used soy)
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter + more for brushing melted
FOR THE ASADO FILLING
- 1 cup soy curls rehydrated & chopped
- 3 cloves (1 tbsp) garlic minced
- ¼ medium (⅓ cup) yellow or white onion finely diced
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 small dried bay leaves
- salt & course grind peppercorn (to taste)
OPTIONAL TOPPING
- vegan cheddar slices cut into small cubes (I used Daiya cheddar)
Instructions
FOR THE ASADO FILLING
- Rehydrate soy curls according to package or place in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Strain out the water and squeeze out any excess liquid it absorbed. On a chopping board, roughly chop into bite sized chunks. You can also pull apart with your hands if that is easier.
- In a small sauce bowl - mix vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sugar together. Whisk until well combined. Add cornstarch and mix until it is fully dissolved.
- Heat a sauté pan and coat with about a tablespoon of oil in medium high heat. Sauté aromatics such as onions and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper. Toss the bay leaves with the aromatics. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add the soy curls into the pan and sauté until edges are slightly golden brown. Lower down the heat to medium low and let it sit for about 1-2 minutes. Then, gradually pour the sauce into the soy curl mixture. Do not pour all at once as it may dry out too quickly. Stir and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes or until sauce has thickened or coated the soy curls.
- Turn off heat and let it sit to cool down.
FOR THE PUTO BATTER
- In a mixing bowl, combined all the dry ingredients such as the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk until fully combined. In a separate small mixing bowl (or measuring beaker cup), combine liquid ingredients such as the milk and melted butter together. Stir until wel combined.
- Pour liquid to dry ingredients and gently fold until there are no longer dry patches of flour. Lumps are okay, do not overmix. It should create a slightly pancake batter like consistency. If batter is too thick or creates a paste-like consistency, add a tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Using a soup pot or wok, pour water halfway and allow to simmer in medium heat. Place bamboo steamer on top of the wok/soup pot. OR prepare your stainless steamer.
ASSEMBLY
- Prepare the silicone cups. Brush each cup with a little bit of melted butter to prevent it from sticking. Using a small ladle, or a tablespoon, pour a small portion of the batter into the cup (at least ¼ of the silicone cup).
- Then, prepare the asado filling. Fill each batter on top with about half a tablespoon (or up to a tablespoon) of the soy curl asado filling. Pour another layer of batter on top of the filling (about ¾ full of the silicone cup). OPTIONAL STEP: Add a small cube of vegan cheeese on top of each batter.
- Place filled cups up on the steamer, slightly spaced apart. Depending on the size of your steamer, you may (or may not) need to do in batches. Do not over crowd.
- Steam for about 20-30 minutes or run a skewer/toothpick through to check if the dough is fully cooked.
- Remove from steamer and let it cool for about ten minutes before eating! Enjoy!
Notes
Soy Curl Alternative - Don't have soy curls? You can use textured vegetable protein, extra firm tofu crumbles, or any vegan "chick'n" as an alternative. Of the three substitutes, I recommend textured vegetable protein (TVP) above anything else.
Cheese Topping - Traditionally, in most puto pao, a salted egg topping is used. But since it is not vegan, obviously, the best alternative will be something savory (and slightly funky) - which is vegan cheese. Use your favorite block of cheese to top it with.