Stuffed Veggie Buns

Stuffed palya buns are a very common snack in most small bakeries here in Karnataka. A yummy, savory potato mixtures is stuffed into the bun dough before popping them into the oven. Ahh the memories of biting into hot, freshly baked buns and the taste of the potato rolling on to the tongue...

Ever since I've become more confident about baking breads I've started to experiment (as usual) and stuffed buns have a great scope for variations.

Yesterday I decided to stuff the whole wheat buns with a vegetable mixture and they turned out better than I'd expected. And everyone who tasted it (tuition kid, neighbor, hubby...) thought they were delish.

So here's the recipe - and feel free to share here if you come up with your own stuffing variations (vegan only please).



Stuffed Veggie Buns

For the buns:

2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 T Active Dry Yeast
1/4 C Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
5 T sugar

Put the wheat flour in a large bowl. Make a hole in the center and put in 1/2 tsp of the sugar and the yeast. Pour 1/2 C lukewarm water over the hole. Let it sit for 10-15 mins till the yeast froths and bubbles. Pour in the rest of the ingredients and mix together into a dough using as much water as required. Knead the dough well till it obtains a soft and elastic texture. Make it into a ball and cover with a clean, wet cloth. Keep it aside for about an hour and let it rise.

Meanwhile....

For the filling:

1/2 C chopped carrots
1/2 C chopped green beans
1 medium capsicum (green bell pepper) chopped
2 Small white onions sliced
1/2 t Mustard Seeds
1/4 t Turmeric powder
1 T any cooking oil
Salt (to taste)

Cook the carrots, beans and capsicum in the microwave for 5-8 minutes.

Heat the oil in a pan. Quickly add the mustard seeds and step away. They will immediately crackle. Add the turmeric powder. Add the onions and stir. Fry them till they are slightly brown. Add the cooked vegetables. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add salt, mix and turn off the flame.

How to proceed:

Once the dough has been sitting for an hour, punch it down and form into a log. Pull off bits and roll them into balls (about 2-3 inch rounds). Cup one of the rounds in one palm and press the top in to make a deep dent and working from the inside-outwards shape the dough into a bowl. Place some veggie mixture in and cover the hole by pulling the dough in from all sides and folding over. Now with the folded side down, shape it into a bun. Do the same with the remaining dough rounds and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Pre heat the oven to 230C / 450F and bake for 20-30 minutes till the tops have browned well.