Jicama Bao

Inspired by the Oscar nominated Pixar’s short film ‘Bao,’ Instagrammer WoonHeng created a Jicama Bao recipe to celebrate Chinese New Year. Serve these hot steamy baos on a bamboo steamer with Chinese tea for a light but satisfying lunch.

Follow WoonHeng on Instagram for more great plant-based recipes.

Makes about 12 baos

Ingredients:

• 2 medium jicama, shredded
• 2 medium carrot, shredded
• 3 tsp avocado oil
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 1 16 oz. package of bao flour, prepared based on package instruction, used plant-based milk as replacement – yields about 12 baos. Bao flour available online or at any Asian grocery store.

Directions:

In a heated pan with 3 tsp avocado oil, sauté carrot until oil turns orangey, add jicama, and stir fry until jicama is soft. Season with salt and pepper and add cilantro. Set aside to cool. You may refrigerate this overnight until ready to use.

Prepare 12 3×3 square parchment paper. Make bao according to package instruction. Fill a heaping 2 tbsp of the jicama mixture in the middle, pleat to seal the bao. Place on parchment paper. Repeat until you have all the baos ready. Cover the bao with a partially wet paper towel to avoid dryness while you are working on the dough. Boil water in steamer, steam bao for 20 mins. To get the crusty look, pan fried them with some sesame seeds until golden brown. Serve warm with a cup of Chinese tea and you can now enjoy dim sum at home too.