Guangdong Shuangyuewan Pinghai’s renowned snack: Vegetable Bun. The ‘vegetable’ refers to radish. Pinghai Vegetable Bun features a filling of local fish cake, eel, fresh shrimp, dried shrimp, pork, garlic chives, and radish, wrapped in a skin made from rice flour and glutinous rice flour. Except for the eel, the filling ingredients can also be used for Cantonese-style radish cake. This recipe yields approximately 50 buns; adjust quantities as needed. Note: Eel is omitted in this version as it was unavailable.
Filling Ingredients: – Radish: 2 pieces (nearly 4 lbs) – Fish cake: 250g – Pork: 300g – Fresh shrimp: 150g – Dried shrimp: 40g – Garlic chives: 2 stalks – Salt: to taste – Oyster sauce: to taste Skin Ingredients: – Rice flour: 800g – Glutinous rice flour: 400g – Salt: 20g Additional: – Bamboo leaves or butter paper for lining to prevent sticking Preparation Steps: 1. Prepare all filling ingredients. Except for radish and seasonings, chop everything into small pieces. If available, add fresh eel (slice into strips, cook, debone, and dice). Finely chop garlic chive heads and leaves separately. 2. Peel and wash radish. Use a grater to shred it or cut into thin strips with a knife. 3. Boil water with a pinch of salt, add radish shreds, and cook until done. Drain and set aside in a bowl. 4. Clean the pan, sauté garlic until fragrant, then stir-fry dried shrimp and pork. Add fish cake and fresh shrimp, season with oyster sauce and salt. Finally, mix in garlic chive leaves. 5. Combine the cooked filling with radish shreds, adjust salt to taste, and mix well with chopsticks. The filling is now complete. 6. For the skin: Mix rice flour and glutinous rice flour uniformly, add salt. Gradually pour boiling water while stirring with chopsticks until half the flour forms a dough. Let cool slightly, then knead by hand. Add more water if needed, but avoid excess. The dough should be slightly sticky yet firm, similar to modeling clay. Sprinkle 50g of dry flour (rice flour, glutinous rice flour, or starch) nearby to prevent sticking. 7. Take a 40g portion of dough, shape into a ball, dust with dry flour, and press with thumbs to form a bowl-like shape. The dough is highly pliable. 8. Fill the skin with filling using chopsticks, and seal like dumplings. Avoid adding any broth. The bun can be closed directly or with a decorative edge.Finally, steam the dumplings for approximately 15-20 minutes.
This dumpling is not perfectly shaped, so it is best to consume it first. A scissor method for removing shrimp heads is included to ensure no edible part is wasted. Even with a thicker wrapper, the dumplings remain delicious due to the slightly chewy and springy texture.