Potato Onion Buns

Neha’s school reopened yesterday after a small break of two weeks. I was alone at home and was busy stitching some harems for Neha. Then at around 2 pm, I got a call from hubby’s cousin sister telling me that she is in Chennai and shall visit us at around 5 pm. She told me not to make anything as they (she and her brother) will not stay till dinner and they just wanted to meet and talk to us. I quickly finished my stitching, cleared up the mess

and thought of what to make for evening tea 🙂

I already had some brookies with me that I had baked last Saturday, you see, Neha doesn’t munch on such things and so cookies doesn’t get over at my place:) Initially I thought of making a pineapple tooti frooti cake, then dropped the idea because Neha doesn’t like it. Then I thought of making Mexican coffee buns, but I realised that my coffee powder got over yesterday. So, finally decided to bake some Iyengar bakery style kaara (spicy) buns. I didn’t have time to make a filling and all, so simply decided to add some mashed potatoes and spices to the dough. Whenever I see people posting such buns, I had wanted to try it. But postponed it each time as hubby and Neha likes only stuffed buns.

So, here comes an efficient time management skill. Kept potatoes for boiling at around 2:45 pm, chopped the onion and green chilies, sauteed them, started kneading the dough at 3 pm, kept for first proofing at around 3:15 pm, shaped at 4 pm, proofed again and baked at around 4:30 pm. By 5 pm, these buns were ready to be clicked. While the buns were proofing, I made a hot milk two layer vanilla choco cake too. Also prepared a simple dal and rice for our dinner. Everything ready by 5 pm 🙂 And I was extremely happy to see the texture of the buns. They were very very soft and quite flavourful. Please do try and share your feedback. I have not mentioned the quantity of water used in kneading, you can add little by little slowly just like how you add when kneading chapati dough. Let the dough be soft and moist.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 100 gm
• Semolina 100 gm
• Whole wheat flour 100 gm
• Potato 2 (~150 gms)
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Instant yeast 3/4-1 tsp
• Onion 1 big
• Green chilies 3-4
• Curry leaves 3-4 sprigs
• Coriander leaves 3-4 sprigs
• Refined oil 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Olive oil 1-2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds as required

Method:

• Peel two potatoes and chop them into thin slices.
• Cook it with some salt till it’s soft.

• Drain and keep in a strainer. Save the water in which the potatoes were boiled for kneading the dough.
• Chop the onion, green chilies, curry leaves and coriander leaves finely.

• Heat refined oil in an iron kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
• When they splutter, add the chopped onion and green chilies.

• Add salt and saute them till they are translucent.
• Add the chopped leaves and stir for a minute.

• Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
• Mix all the three flours, salt, sugar and yeast in a big mixing bowl.
• Mash the potatoes and pass through the strainer into the dry flour mixture.

• Mix it thoroughly and add the water (in which potatoes were cooked) and start kneading.
• Sprinkle some olive oil and knead for 4-5 minutes.
• Spread the dough and add the sauteed onion mixture into it.

• Mix it well and knead again for 4-5 minutes. If you feel that your dough has become too loose after the addition of onion, sprinkle some dry flour.
• Knead till the dough looks soft, elastic and supple.

• Transfer the dough onto a well oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a moist towel.

• Allow the dough to double in volume.

• Take around 60 grams of dough and shape it tightly into a ball. Press it a bit and place it in a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

• Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Repeat with rest of the dough.

• Allow the buns to double in volume or till they look puffed up.

• Towards the last ten minutes of proofing, preheat the oven at around 180-190 degree Celsius.
• Bake these buns for 25-30 minutes or till it has a nice golden sheen on top.
• Remove from the oven and apply some butter on top.

• Serve it warm with your evening tea or coffee.