Pang Susi Recipe (Eurasian Sweet Potato Buns with Spiced Meat Filling)
Get my traditional, easy to follow, Eurasian pang susi recipe, made with mashed sweet potatoes. Perfect at Easter or at teatime any day!
Ingredients
Pang Susi Dough
- 1 pot of water to boil
- 1 tsp salt for the boiling water
- 250 g sweet potatoes pre peeled weight
- 300 g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp dried instant yeast
- 60 g white sugar
- 80 g salted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp evaporated milk
- 1 Tbsp brandy or 1 Tbsp water or evaporated milk
- ½ tsp vegetable oil for greasing bowl
Pang Susi Filling
- 300 g minced beef or meat of your choice (I'm using 10% fat)
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
Aromatics, Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots about 60g pre peeled weight
- 1 small carrot about 60g/2 oz in weight
- 2 sprigs fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
Spices and Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp Feng curry powder or garam masala
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 generous pinch salt
- 3 dashes ground white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
Egg Glaze
- 1 large egg yolk lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp evaporated milk
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp of salt.Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 5cm (2in) cubes.1 pot of water, 1 tsp salt, 250 g sweet potatoes
- When the water is boiling, add them to the pan and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until a knife glides through easily.
- Drain using a colander and leave in the colander to air dry for 5 minutes. Then tip them back into the saucepan and mash with a potato masher.Leave to cool to room temperature before using.
Marinate the Mince
- Tip the mince into a bowl and pour over the 2 soy sauces. Mix well, squeezing the mince to ensure it's all fully covered with the marinade.300 g minced beef, 1 Tbsp light soy sauce, 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
Pang Susi Dough By Hand
- Sift the flour and sprinkle the dry yeast and sugar all over. Mix with your fingers by lifting the flour up and dropping it back from a height.Add the room temperature butter and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, rubbing, lifting and letting it fall. Do this until the flour mixture looks like breadcrumbs.300 g all purpose flour, 1 tsp dried instant yeast, 60 g white sugar, 80 g salted butter
- Make a well and add the mashed sweet potato, egg yolk, evaporated milk and brandy (or substitute). Mix this with your fingertips until you have a rough mixture.Tip out onto your work surface and knead to bring it all together to form a dough.1 large egg yolk, 2 Tbsp evaporated milk, 1 Tbsp brandy
- Knead your pang susi dough for 5 minutes, at the end of which, you'll have a smooth dough. If it's too sticky, sprinkle just a little more flour all over and knead that in.Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave somwhere warm to rise for 1 hour.In the winter, I turn the light on in my oven and place the bowl in there without turning the oven on. The warmth from the light is perfect.½ tsp vegetable oil for greasing bowl
Pang Susi Dough in a Mixer
- Sift the flour into your mixer bowl, then add everything else in.300 g all purpose flour, 1 tsp dried instant yeast, 60 g white sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 2 Tbsp evaporated milk, 1 Tbsp brandy, 80 g salted butter
- Using a dough hook attachment, mix everything until you get a dough. Keep the machine on for 2 minutes on medium to knead the dough.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave somewhere warm to rise for 1 hour.In the winter, I turn the light on in my oven and place the bowl in there without turning the oven on. The warmth from the light is perfect.½ tsp vegetable oil for greasing bowl
The Filling
- Peel and finely chop the onion.Peel or scrub the carrot. Dice it up into little cubes of no more than 1cm in size (less than ½ inch).Finely chop the coriander leaves (cilantro).1 small onion or 2 shallots, 1 small carrot, 2 sprigs fresh coriander leaves
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on medium heat and fry the onions for 1 minute.Add the carrots and fry for another minute.2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- Add the curry powder and fry for 20 seconds.Tip in the meat, along with any liquid in the bowl and fry on medium-high heat for 2 minutes, breaking the mince up. A potato masher will break it up easier.3 Tbsp Feng curry powder
- Add the salt, sugar and white pepper, stir, and reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every so often to ensure that it's not burning.We want the meat cooked and dry, with no liquid or "gravy" in the pan.1 tsp white sugar, 1 generous pinch salt, 3 dashes ground white pepper
- When done, taste it and add more salt if necessary. It should be fragrant, with a full on spice flavour and just a hint of sweetness. You shouldn't need to add anymore sugar.Take it off the heat, stir in the chopped coriander leaves and leave to cool to room temperature before using.
Assembly
- Tip the dough out onto your work surface and divide it up into 16 portions.
- Take one portion and flatten it out.
- Be sure to cover the rest with the damp tea towel. Place it in your palm and place about 1 heaped teaspoon of the filling in the middle.
- Pinch the 2 edges together to seal, shaping the bun into an oval shape like a rugby ball (American football). Pinch the edges flat, no pattern necessary.Turn it over and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet, with the seam side down.
- Repeat with all the other portions, then cover with tea towels and leave to rest for 30 minutes. You'll need two baking sheets.Depending on how much filling you used, you may have a little extra. It's great with noodles, rice or in a sandwich. And will keep until the next day, covered, in the fridge.I am very, very generous with the filling, as I prefer my pang susi with more filling than bread.
Bake the Buns
- 10 minutes before the end of resting time, turn your oven on to 180℃/350℉.Lightly beat the egg yolk and evaporated milk together.1 large egg yolk, 1 Tbsp evaporated milk
- Bake the buns in the oven for 15 minutes. Take them out and glaze the top generously with the beaten yolk and evaporated milk mix.Place them back in the oven to bake for another 2 minutes.Depending on your oven, you may need 20 minutes in total if they're not quite golden brown enough. But you don't want them too dark.You can serve them immediately, but be careful of the hot filling.
Notes
It takes me about 30 seconds to flatten, fill and seal 1 bun.
I always give you pre peeled weight for onions and garlic, because it's easier for you to know what you need. Otherwise you'd be peeling and weighing, then peeling again. And weighing, and there's bound to be extra.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bunCalories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 188mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3246IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
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