Pan-fried daikon radish bun

To make the dough, combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. With a pair of chopsticks or silicone spatula, stir while adding the water. Add the oil and knead until a soft dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Note: the dough is sticky but you should be able to gather the dough together. If not, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it rest for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, soften the mung bean vermicelli by immersing it in hot boiling water to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Then, cut them into tinier threads with scissors Meanwhile, drain the tofu with dish towels or gently press it in between your palms to remove the tofu water. Then, cut it into 1cm cubes. The tiny cubes help keep the filling intact later. Next, prepare the mushrooms by simply tearing the larger cap into smaller pieces with your hand. Set it aside.

Then, shred the carrot using a grater with a smaller shredding hole. Now, clean the daikon radish and peel off the outer skin with a vegetable peeler, similar to how you prepare a carrot. Cut off the leafy top and root end. If your daikon radish is huge, cut it into half for ease of handling. Set a grater on top of a large bowl and shred the daikon using the large shredding holes.

Then, massage the shreds with a teaspoon of salt and set them aside for about 20-30 minutes. This step is to draw out the daikon radish's moisture. To cook the filling, heat a large non-stick pan with ½ tablespoon of oil. Sauté mushrooms until fragrant, push them to the side of the pan. Pan-fry the tofu cubes until golden brown, adding more oil if needed. Next, add the carrot and sauté for about 30-45 seconds. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Turn off the heat and let it cool down. Once the daikon radish has softened and the water has released, place them in a nut milk bag. Wring out as much liquid as possible, do it in small batches as needed. Transfer the squeezed daikon radish into a bowl. If they appear to have a large strand, cut or chop them into smaller bits. Add the cooked mushrooms, carrot, and tofu into the same bowl followed by softened mung bean vermicelli and green onions. Then, mix it with the seasoning until well-combined. Divide it into 8 portions.

To make the buns, dust the work surface and the rolling pin with flour. Please note: this is a very soft and sticky dough, so rub your palms with flour as well. Take a dough and flatten it with your palm. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 5″-6″ circular wrapper, keeping the middle thicker and side thinner. Place a portion of the filling in the middle. Lift two sides of the dough and bring it to the middle and pinch to seal. While holding this pinch, gently pull a side of the dough and bring it to the middle. Repeat until all sides are in the middle. Pinch it together and seal it tightly. Turn it over and adjust the dough into a round bun.

To cook the buns, heat a non-stick pan and add about 3 teaspoons of oil. Add the buns, seamed side down, slightly apart. Cover the pan with a lid, and pan-fry the bottom until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. It's normal that the buns puff up during cooking. Uncover, flip the buns over, and cover with a lid then continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Peek the buns occasionally to prevent them from burning. To check if the buns are fully cooked through, poke the side of the bun slightly with your finger. If it bounces back, then, they are ready. Serve them warm with a side of chile crisps.

Enjoy!!