Tingmos - Tibetan Steamed Buns - We Knead to Bake 29

This month the We Knead to Bake Group ventured to make steamed buns from the Tibetan region.
Aparna decided that though we are a baking group, to try a yeasted steamed bun is not treading away from norm. Thus, we are here with savoury steamed buns that are soft and mildly flavoured. While the Tibetan cooking is generally mild it is normal that they partake the food accompanied by hot sauces and curries.
Tingmos or Tingmomos are savoury steamed buns that the Tibetans have with anything from curries to hot sauces along with food or just them. They could be dunked in soups and savoured too. These are usually made small as they are consumed as part of meal. A bigger bun could be quite filling by itself.
Tingmos are similar to the Chinese baozi or more familiarly bao, bau, bakpao, bausak, pow, pau or pao, a type of steamed, filled, bun, with much variation as to the fillings and the preparations depending on the specific Chinese cuisine. They are quite popular in the Indian state of sikkim that borders Tibet while you might chance to find them offered on the menu in other eateries throughout India along side momos.
The traditional tingmos does not use yeast. However, there are recipes that are made with yeast. One such recipe is what we have tried this time. The recipe has been adapted from Rick Stein's book titled "India". He describes the ting momos thus,

“spongy, slightly gelatinous little steamed Tibetan buns, pleasingly savoury with ginger, garlic, coriander and tomato. Rather irritatingly more-ish on their own, they’re addictive when dunked into a rich curry or the very yummy Tibetan red chilli sauce”.

This little bun is made and eaten in Tibet usually at breakfast with a rice porridge called dreythuk. They’re quite popular though with a very spicy red chilly dipping sauce called Sepen. They can also be served with soups or “curries”. When made and cooked properly, tingmos should be soft, fluffy and slightly chewy. They are made with or without the fillings too. we have tried the same with filling.

Here’s a useful video that shows Tingmos being made. 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8OxkgWIV9E&feature=player_embedded )

Tingmos or Ting momos - Tibetan Steamed Buns

(Adapted from Rick Stein’s India - http://www.amazon.in/Rick-Steins-India-Stein/dp/1849905789 )

Ingredients:

Make 12 to 14 tingmos

For the dough:

1&1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water (I needed more water to knead my dough, hence adjust as required)

1 teaspoon oil to coat the dough

For the filling:

1&1/2 teaspoon ginger paste or finely minced ginger

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh coriander

1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions greens and white bulbs

2 teaspoons oil

Method:

Make the dough first. Combine the flour, yeast, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the warm water.

Knead to a soft, smooth dough adding more water (or flour) only as required. the dough shall not be sticky.

Roll the dough in a ball, coat all over by turning in oil. Place it in a bowl, covered loosely and allow it to double in its volume. This may take about 45 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, get the filling ready.

Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger and garlic paste. Saute' until the raw taste of garlic subsides (this step can be skipped if you do not mind the strong flavours). 

Remove from heat and allow to cool. mix in the spring onions and chopped coriander.

Once the dough is ready, turn it on to a lightly floured work surface.
Divide the dough in two equal portions.

Roll each in a rough rectangular shape that is 5 millimeteres thick.

Spread the filling over the surface and roll it along the length in a Swiss roll type of roll.

Cut out six or seven equal portions of the rolled dough.

Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.

Grease your steamer plate with some oil.

Place the rolled and cut buns on the steamer plate with the cut side facing up and down. place them well apart allowing space for them to expand while cooking.

Loosely cover the steamer plate and set aside for 15 minutes for the buns to expand in volume.

Keep water in the steamer and bring to a rolling boil.

Place the prepared steamer plate in the steamer, cover and steam the buns for 15 minutes.
The buns should have fluffed well and look puffed up.

Remove from the steamer, and serve.

I have served them with home made Sepen style sauce. The recipe for the sauce can be read in this post.

Kindly click away from here to Aparna's post to check what other members have shared.