Nikuman, Japanese steamed buns
Nikuman are Japanese steamed buns usually filled with either savory or sweet filling made out of adzuki beans. These japanese version of steamed buns are very similar to the Chinese baozi, also usually filled either a savory or sweet filling.
These hot food are usually sold in street hawkers or the convenience store in a ready-to-eat heat pack. Here are several brands to lookout for:
Circle K Sunkus
* White curry man
* Squid ink seafood man
* Deli chicken man with mayo-style flavor
Ministop
* Crunchy Chinese seafood man
* Crunchy cheese sausage donut man
* Boiled pork cube crunchy curry man
* Crunchy cheese lasagna man
FamilyMart
* Cream cheese man
* Sakura man
* Choco-man
Lawson
* Milk caramel man
SAVE ON
* Sakura anman
* Beef tendon man
* Jiaozi man
But if you want to make Nikuman at home, it’s is not impossible. Like a lot of asian style cooking, preparation is usually the hardest part of the whole thing. Here’s a very good recipe of steamed buns with pork filling that you can try out during your long weekends:
For the dough:
A:
2C (240g) flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp potato starch
1/2+ tbsp oil
3 tbsp sugar in 4 oz H2O
B:
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ tbsp lukewarm water
½ tsp sugar
1. Combine ingredients A and B and knead for 10 mins. Cover with wet teacloth to proof for 1 to 1.1/2 hours. Punch down and knead at least 20 times. Rest dough for 10 mins. If the dough pulls back, the rest time is insufficient, extend the rest time.
2. Divide dough into 1 oz pieces and fill with chosen filling. As you pleat the closing, be sure not to grease the edges so that the dough will stick.
For a good pork filling:
3T dark soy sauce
3T light soy sauce
1/2c honey
1/2t salt
3T oyster sauce
2T rice wine / sake
3T teriyako sauce
1t five-spice powder
1/2t ground white pepper
1-2 lbs pork tenderloin, loin, or belly cut into strips approx. 2″ thick and 8″ long. (I only used 1lb, but the marinade will easily take 2lb of meat.)
Stir all ingredients together in a deep bowl until honey dissolves.
Poke the pork all over with a skewer and place in the marinade. Turn until well coated. Cover and refridgerate for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Set a wire rack over a deep baking tin filled with about an inch of hot water. Place the meat onto the rack, well spaced out. Baste generously and roast for 15 minutes.
Baste the meat once more and roast for another 20 minutes. Baste once more then turn the meat over. Baste generously and roast for another 20 minutes, basting 2-3 times during this period.
Turn the oven up to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Baste the meat one last time. Roast for 15 minutes until the meat is mahogany-coloured and the edges are slightly charred. Remove meat from to a chopping board and leave to rest. Don’t throw away the pan juices, you’ll need some for the filling!
Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of my own for show but I will make sure to post it up when i made Nikuman again. But it would have to be during cooler climate :)
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