These Pan-Fried Vegetable Buns (Bao Zi) are filled with mouthwatering ingredients and then pan-fried until the bottom is crispy. We won’t be making the dough from scratch. Instead, we’ll be using dumpling wrappers!
Recipe
Serving: 16
Prep time: 50 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
For the pan-fried buns:
16 sheets dumpling wrappers
1 tablespoon avocado oil, for pan-frying
½ cup water, for steaming
For the filling:
4 ounces glass noodles
4 cups hot water
1 ½ cups cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Pinch of white pepper
For the dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
1 tablespoon chili oil
Instructions
1. Prepare the filling:
- Place glass noodles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 5 minutes until softened, then drain and cut into 2-inch lengths.
- In a mixing bowl, toss cabbage and carrots with sesame oil to reduce moisture release while wrapping.
- Add glass noodles and season with vegetarian oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and white pepper. Mix until well combined.
2. Make the dipping sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, and chili oil. Whisk and set aside.
3. Assemble the buns:
- Place a dumpling wrapper flat on your palm. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center.
- Dab the edges with water, then pleat and seal the bun. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
4. Pan-fry and steam:
- Heat avocado oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable buns and pan-fry for about 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
- To steam, cover the pan halfway to prevent splattering and carefully pour in water.
- Immediately cover the lid fully and steam over medium heat until all the water evaporates, about 7 minutes.
5. Serve:
- Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Tips & notes
- To prevent soggy buns, make sure to mix sesame oil into the cabbage and carrots before seasoning.
- You can substitute dumpling wrappers with homemade bao dough if preferred.
- Add mushrooms or tofu to make the filling even heartier.
Did you know
Legend has it that baozi was invented by Zhuge Liang, a famed military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period. While crossing the Lu River, locals insisted a human head had to be sacrificed to ensure safe passage. Instead, Zhuge Liang ingeniously crafted head-shaped buns as a symbolic offering. How clever—and delicious!
2 thoughts on “Pan-Fried Vegetable Buns”
Good to have veggie Asian food!
Glad that you liked the recipe! Happy cooking! 🙂