Nikuman

sudachirecipes.com

Japanese Steamed Pork Buns

Nikuman is a popular Japanese snack inspired by Chinese baozi. This delicious steamed bun is made with juicy pork and finely chopped vegetables encased in a soft and fluffy dough. Learn everything you need to know to make the ultimate nikuman from scratch at home!

sudachirecipes.com

Learn More

Nikuman

Yield

4 servings

Type

Steamed

Time

2 hrs 20 mins

Level

Intermediate

Arrow

dough ingredients:

» cake flour » strong flour » sugar » salt » dry yeast » baking powder » lukewarm water » milk

filling ingredients:

» pork mince » lard » onion » bamboo shoots » shiitake mushrooms » wood ear mushrooms » grated fresh ginger » grated garlic » slurry (starch mixed with water)

filling seasonings:

» soy sauce » oyster sauce » miso paste » sesame oil » black vinegar » sake » sugar » honey » Chinese chicken stock powder » white pepper

Activate the yeast

Mix the dry yeast and sugar in a jug of warm water and leave to activate for a few minutes until foamy.

1

Add to dry  ingredients

Mix the cake flour, strong flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and make a well. Once the yeast is foamy, pour it into the dry ingredients.

2

Knead and leave to rise

Knead into a smooth dough. Place it back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store in a warm place until doubled in size.

3

Cook vegetables for filling

Finely dice the onion, bamboo shoots and mushrooms and grate the ginger and garlic. Heat a pan on medium, add sesame oil and fry the ingredients together.

4

Season filling

Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, miso paste, black vinegar, sake, sugar, honey, salt, pepper and Chinese chicken stock powder. Fry until liquid has absorbed into ingredients.

5

Add slurry

In a small bowl, mix potato starch (or corn starch) with cold water to make a slurry. Turn off the heat and pour the slurry into the pan. Mix until mixture becomes thick and slightly glossy.

6

Cool and complete

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool. Once cool to the touch, mix with the pork mince and lard and rest in the fridge until the dough is ready.

7

Shape and rest

Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out and roll into a cylinder. Cut into 60g pieces and shape into discs. Cover and rest for 15 mins.

8

Roll out

After 15 minutes, roll the dough into a circle 5mm thick. Thin out the edges using a rolling pin, they should be about 2mm thick.

9

Fill

Divide the filling into 60g portions and roll each piece into a rough ball. Place the ball in the centre of the dough.

10

Shape

To shape, bring the top and bottom edges together and pinch. Repeat with the left and right edges and each pair of parallel corners.

11

Twist

Twist the top to completely seal. Place each finished nikuman on a small piece of baking paper.

12

Second rise

Place the nikuman in the steaming basket, add the lid and rest for 15 minutes for the 2nd rise.

12

Steam

Fill a pot with cold water and place the steaming basket on top. Bring the water to the boil over a high heat, then once it's bubbling, lower to medium and set a timer for 13 minutes.

13

Enjoy!

Once cooked, remove the lid and take the nikuman out of the steamer.  Enjoy straight away or store for later!

14

check out FULL RECIPE »

See the full post for storage information plus substitutes and additional ingredient ideas!

more like this

Pan Fried Gyoza

Shumai (Pork Dumplings)

Harumaki (spring rolls)