Butter Chicken Bao

Heat the warm non-dairy milk (0.75 cup), if you haven’t already, until it’s warm and add to a bowl. Then, add the sugar (2 tsp) and active yeast (1 tsp) and mix in. Let the yeast get frothy for 5 minutes. Start 5m timer

Mix the baking powder (1 tsp) and salt (0.5 tsp) into the all-purpose flour (2 cup), and add that to the yeast mixture. Mix really well to combine.

Once the dough is starting to come together, add the oil (2 tsp) and mix in. If the dough is feeling sticky, you can add in [1-2 tbsp all-purpose flour] or more as needed. You want the dough to be soft and moist and not too dry, but also not really sticky.

Once the dough is formed, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil (2 tsp). Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion (0.25 cup) and a good pinch of [salt] and cook until the onion is translucent.

Mix in all of the ginger-garlic paste (1 tbsp), ground coriander (1 tsp), garam masala (1 tsp), dried fenugreek leaves (1 tsp), and salt (0.5 tsp). Add in the tomato paste (2 tbsp) and can full fat coconut milk (15 ounce), mixing really well so the tomato paste dissolves into the coconut milk mixture. Bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop up the dried soy curls (4 ounce), if they're too large. I usually use the ends of the bag, because that usually has already small pieces of soy curls.

Once the coconut milk mixture has come to a boil, remove [3-4 tbsp sauce] to serve on the side. Add in the [soy curls] and [0.5-1 cup water]. Mix well, and cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the soy curls have absorbed all of the liquid and the mixture is thickening into a good filling consistency. You can also break up any larger pieces of soy curls if they're still intact. Stir once in between, just to make sure that they're not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then set this mixture aside to cool. Start 15m timer

Take the dough from your warm place and move it to a working area. Add some [flour] and shape it into a ball, and then roll it out with a rolling pin into a large rectangle or square not more than 0.25 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 3 inch or larger squares.

Add a good filling (3 tbsp) or more of the filling into each square.

Brush some water onto all the sides of the square and then pinch the opposite sides, then pinch the other sides to make into a sealed bao. If you don't want to make them into stuffed bao you can just make them into rectangular envelopes like a hand pie, and then seal it with a fork. Repeat whichever sealing process you're using for all the dough and the filling.

Heat a large, flat skillet over medium high heat. Add oil (1 tsp), and have hot water (1 cup) ready (on the side) for steaming.

Once the oil is hot, arrange the bao in the pan so that there is about 0.5 inch of space between each one. Cook for 2 minutes to brown the bottoms. It doesn’t take too long to brown the bottoms. You can flip them and brown the other side as well. It’s your preference. Otherwise, pour the [hot water] into the pan carefully and close it with a well-fitting lid, which also has hole for the steam to escape. Start 2m timer

Reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the water is almost gone. Then, remove the lid, and transfer the bao to your serving plate. Serve with the reserved butter chicken sauce. I also like to serve with some [green onion], [cilantro], and [pickled onion]. Start 11m timer