These Vegan Chinese Steamed Buns required minimal ingredients to make and serve as a lovely breakfast, snack and dessert. These buns are filled with a sweetened red bean paste that is not overly sweetened. It is great for Lunar New Year coming up and for families!
Our cup holder tray would be moved from our kitchen counter to our dinner table in the living room. My mom would dust the counter with flour as she divides the dough needed to make her steamed buns.
Her wooden rolling pin and square parchment paper would lay beside her metal mixing bowl with the dough covered with a wet kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out. I would stand close by watching her roll each divided dough out, adding the filling and carefully rolling it back into a circular shape. She would place the finished, rolled dough onto a square parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the steamer basket later on.
She looks relaxed as she prepared each steamed bun, knowing my siblings, dad, and I would be able to eat it right after. No matter what meal she prepares, she would always let us eat first, wanting to clean up the kitchen before she eats and wanting us to have the freshest homemade food as possible. I didn’t think much about the time and effort it takes to prepare the steamed buns or any other dishes she makes until I made them my own, sometimes taking double the time she would take to make them. Making my mom’s recipes and now knowing how much work it requires to make them, makes me appreciate not only the recipe more but also my mom, who decided to become a housewife rather than working so that she can focus entirely on taking care of my siblings and I.
As I was making these red bean steamed buns, I thought about my mom and everything happening around the world, how scary it can be at times, and all the unknowns. Even though there are a lot of things we might be able to control, one thing we always have is love. I thought about the love my mom has for our family, the love we have for ourselves, family, friends, and people around the world. I don’t have the answer to everything, but I know that when we give love, that love continues to grow and multiply.
With Lunar New Year (year of the cow) and Valentine’s Day around the corner, I made these Cow Steamed Buns with Red Bean Filling that is great for families and children. If you are ready to make these steamed buns, let’s start baking!
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