Pan-Fried Vegetable Buns

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!