Vegan Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings / 生煎包)
Shanghai sheng jian bao / pan-fried buns, crisp-bottomed with a tender, savory vegan filling that melts in the mouth, soup-dumping style. Irresistibly delicious.
- Prep Time: 75
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Snacks & Appetizers
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Scale
For the wrappers:
- 110 ml (7 tbsp) water
- 200g all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cup)
- 1 tsp instant or quick-rising dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
For the jellied soup stock:
- 1.5 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp agar powder
For the filling:
- 1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 2 1/2 cups soy curls,* rehydrated and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch thumb ginger, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- toasted black sesame seeds, for garnish
- chopped green onion, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the jellied soup stock:
- Place the vegetable broth and the agar powder into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then pour into a shallow dish and allow to set in the fridge, about 2-3 hours. (I recommend doing this in advance.)
Prepare the dough:
- Combine flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir while adding in water a little at a time, and knead the dough until it forms a smooth and elastic ball. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After it has risen slightly (but not yet doubled), place it in the fridge to prevent it from rising further.
Prepare the filling:
- Measure out the soy curls and soak in a bowl of warm water for 8-10 minutes to soften. Drain/squeeze out excess water, and chop finely. Place in a large bowl along with minced mushrooms, oil, scallions, garlic, ginger, salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, ground pepper, and sesame oil, and stir well to combine.
- Remove jellied stock from the refrigerator and dice into small 1/4 inch cubes, then combine with the rest of the filling. Place prepared filling in the refrigerator while you make the wrappers.
Assembling and frying:
- On a floured surface, flatten and press dough to remove air bubbles. Fold in half, then in half again, stretching and rolling to form a rope. Using a knife, divide into equal portions (about 15g each). Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with the palm of your hand, and roll the dough out with a small rolling pin until it is about 3 inches in diameter.
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a dough circle. Fold the dough up and around the filling, pleating in a counter-clockwise motion and pinching firmly at the top to seal. Place finished buns on a lightly greased surface and loosely cover while you make the rest.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place buns gently in the pan, leaving about 1 1/2 inches margin, and fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Quickly pour 1/4 cup water (or enough to cover the bottom third of the bun) and cover immediately to trap in steam. Reduce to a low heat and allow buns to cook for 5-8 minutes until water is evaporated and the sound of sizzling has stopped. Open the lid and sprinkle on sesame seeds and green onions, and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up. Remove from pan and serve immediately.
Notes
- *The cup measurement will vary from 1 2/3 cups to 2 cups depending on flour brand, but I recommend weighing it out to be exact.
- I used regular vegetable broth, not low-sodium.
- Soy curls are made with one ingredient– non-gmo soy beans– and they’re minimally processed, unlike TVP (textured vegetable protein). I love them and I think they’re a wonderful meat alternative, similar to seitan but a lot cheaper and easier to work with. You can find soy curls in the bulk goods section, or packaged under the Butler brand.
- When frying, you can place the pleated side either facing up or down. I did the latter, but you have to make sure to securely seal the buns to prevent any juice from leaking out of the filling.
- Freezer option: spread the pleated (but not yet cooked) buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze, then transfer frozen buns to a bag for long-term freezer storage.
- To see how to pleat the buns, go to my Instagram page and view the videos saved in my story highlights.