Sticky Paneer Bao. Soft, pillowy, and just melt-in-the-mouth, this sticky paneer bao is a perfect example of how to incorporate Indian flavors and other Asian flavors. They are spicy, sweet, and super delicious. It’s incredible how easy this dish is to make; it is a great appetizer or dinner side. So I was always intimidated by making bao and perceived that it was not easy. My oldest has asked me to make bao for quite some time; however, I avoided it because of something or the other. So, this morning, I thought I would try to make it, and hopefully, it would work. In addition, I thought of combining Indian and other Asian flavors, which led to sticky paneer bao. I was looking for a foolproof recipe, and while searching on the internet, I stumbled upon a recipe from seonkyounglongest.com. It was a simple bao recipe. I loved the idea of easy and foolproof, and I’m so glad I tried that recipe. It was impressive for a first-timer like me, and came out super good.
Why Sticky Paneer Filling?
Paneer and a North Indian kitchen have a fantastic relationship. You can take us anywhere, but paneer will still rule our vegetarian kitchen. Initially, I thought about making tofu filling with a super spicy sticky sauce, but I wanted to experiment with Indian flavors. Hence, I made some changes and instead used paneer.
How to Make the Sticky Paneer Filling-
Just toss the thin stripes of paneer in a beautifully sweet and spicy sauce made of dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup, Thai red chili sauce, a little bit of brown sugar, and chili flakes. Add some onion slices, green pepper slices, and minced garlic. This is super easy to put together and fun to make. Additionally, you can always tone down the spice level according to your need and taste buds. I think this paneer bao is delicious.
How to Make Bao-
Combine warm milk, water, sugar, oil, and active dry yeast. Let it bloom in a warm place. Mix all the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients to make a soft and supple dough. I used an instant pot to proof the dough. I have done it on the yogurt mode for 2 hours. Then, roll the dough after proofing it into an even thick sheet. If you need to, you can sprinkle some flour on it. Roll it into, ideally, a ¼ inch thickness. After that, cut the dough into your desired size with a cookie cutter or glass. I made around 22 bao from this much dough. Brush the side of the dough after cutting and fold it in half. Place them lined on parchment paper or a silicon pad for some time to rise and prepare the steam. Steam them in a bamboo or regular steamer for 12-14 minutes. Lastly, fill them with your choice of filling and enjoy. Here, in my case, my teens enjoyed sticky paneer filling. It was yummy. You can try some other Asian recipes to go with it- Asian Cucumber Salad Tofu Steak in Garlic Sauce
