Succulent lamb, marinated to perfection in a savoury Mongolian sauce, meets the pillowy warmth of bao buns, to create a delightful meal the whole family will enjoy. Give these Mongolian Lamb Bao Buns a go, you will not be disappointed. If you do not have time to make fresh Bao Buns, use store-bought.
Mongolian Lamb Bao Buns Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
500g lamb leg steaks, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1/4 small red cabbage, shredded
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1/2 nashi or firm green pear, cut into matchsticks
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
75g Mongolian paste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornflour
Coriander sprigs, to serve
Bao buns
300ml warm water
50g potato starch
7g sachet dry yeast
2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
450g white bread flour
Method:
For the Bao buns, place warm water in a large bowl and whisk in the potato starch, yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar until dissolved. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.
Cover and set aside for 10 minutes then lightly knead the dough until smooth. Repeat this process twice more, then divide the dough
into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Cover and leave for a further 10 minutes.
Roll each ball into a disc about 1cm thick with a little flour, brush the top of each disc lightly with oil then fold in half. Sit each disc on a piece of baking paper, dust lightly with flour, cover loosely and set aside until doubled in size (approx. 45-50 minutes).
To make coleslaw, combine the cabbage, cucumber, pear and green onions in a bowl. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha and lime juice and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise to the coleslaw, season and toss to coat.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a hot non-stick wok, cook lamb strips in batches till browned. Remove from wok and set aside.
Add a little more oil and garlic, ginger and red onion to wok; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in Mongolian paste, and cook for a further minute. Combine brown sugar, cornflour and 1/4 cup water, add to wok and stir until boiling. Return lamb to wok, toss well to
heat through and season.
Heat a large steamer over a large saucepan of simmering water. Steam the buns, in batches, for 8 minutes until puffed up.
Prise open each bun and fill with lamb mixture, and coleslaw. Serve with remaining Sriracha mayonnaise and coriander sprigs.
Smart Tips
If you’re short on time you can buy ready-to-go bao buns in most Asian supermarkets. Using pre-diced lamb instead of lamb steaks is another way you can speed up the process
Mongolian paste is available in the Asian section of supermarkets or at Asian grocers or can be substituted for black bean sauce. Japanese (Kewpie) mayonnaise can also be found here
Any type of cabbage, carrot or radish would work well in the coleslaw, for feel free to choose your preference.
