Galabao or Lao Steamed Bun
Galabao: Lao Steamed Buns with Seasoned Pork and Noodle Filling
Galabao are a popular Laotian snack or light meal made with steamed buns filled with a seasoned pork mixture. The buns are typically served with a side of hard-boiled egg and a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1.5 tsp yeast
- 225 ml warm water (or milk)
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 390 g sifted red lotus flour
- 2 tbsp butter
For the filling:
- 150 g ground pork
- ½ cup glass noodles
- ¼ cup spring onions, diced
- ¼ cup onions, diced
- ½ tsp MSG (optional)
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
Instructions:
- To make the dough, combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast mixture.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix well.
- Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- To make the filling, cook the glass noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, cooked glass noodles, spring onions, yellow onions, MSG (optional), black pepper, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and rice flour. Mix well.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a thin circle.
- Place a spoonful of filling and a quarter of a hard-boiled egg in the center of each circle of dough.
- Fold the dough in half and pinch the edges to seal.
- Place the galabao on a steamer basket lined with parchment paper.
- Steam the galabao for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Serve the galabao hot with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Tips:
- For a more flavorful filling, you can add some chopped garlic or ginger to the ground pork mixture.
- If you don't have red lotus flour, you can use all-purpose flour instead.
- To make the galabao ahead of time, simply steam them and then let them cool completely. Store the galabao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, simply reheat the galabao in a steamer for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.
Enjoy!
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