Jjinppang: steamed buns filled with red bean paste

I like Asian food more and more every day, and today I invite you to prepare a recipe that I fell in love with the moment I tried it: these are fluffy steamed buns filled with a delicious red bean paste . It is a traditional Korean recipe, very easy to make and I hope it surprises you as much as it surprised me.

I know that one of the things that generates the most curiosity and desire to make Asian culinary culture are those perfect buns and dumplings, which always hide some delicious secret inside. So I hope that these traditional Korean jjinppang motivate you to try making them at home.

We make both the bean paste and the steamed buns in a pressure cooker , so you save a lot of time, you don't need an oven, and they are super soft and fluffy .

What do you think? Do you dare to try them? I assure you that steamed jjinppang buns, served hot and fluffy, are irresistible! They are also extremely versatile, as they can be served as a dessert or snack, or as an accompaniment to a main course or a fish dish.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

• 150 g azuki beans (red beans)
• 125 g brown sugar
• 1 pinch of salt for the bean paste
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 250 g of wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt for the dough
• 125 ml of milk
• 1 tsp oil
• a little butter for the filling.

Preparation

We prepare the bean paste for the filling:

1. Add 600 ml of water to the WMF Premium pressure cooker and bring to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, rinse the beans in a colander, drain, and add the red beans to the pot.
3. Close the lid tightly, set the pressure to level two and let the beans cook for about 45-50 minutes from when the pressure ring rises (we want them to be very soft).
4. Once the cooking time has elapsed, turn off the pot and let it release pressure on its own. When you can open it, remove it from the heat, strain the beans and transfer them to a large bowl.
5. Mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat or mix vigorously with a ball-end whisk until the sugar is fully incorporated and the beans are crumbled (beat until they form a paste).
6. Return the bean paste to the pot and heat uncovered. We want them to boil for a few minutes to evaporate any liquid they have released or retained, until only a small amount of water remains.
7. Put the bean puree in a bowl and let it cool down. Stir occasionally.

Note: A key or grace of this recipe is to leave some thicker pieces of beans. When you find them in some bites of the bun, it gives it a delicious traditional homemade touch.

Dough preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the fresh yeast, sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour in a bowl. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. In a glass or bowl, heat the salt and oil with the milk a little (we don't want it to burn, just to warm it up a bit).
3. In a large bowl, add the dough you made with the baking powder, the warm milk and the rest of the flour. Knead for about 5 to 10 minutes, until you have a soft dough (it will be much more effective with the KitchneAid robot, with the hook accessory). When you have the smooth dough, cover it with a cotton cloth and let it rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
4. After a while, the dough will have risen. Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer it to a floured surface. Knead it with a rolling pin and cut into 8 or 10 portions.
5. You should make 8-10 flat circles (about 8cm in diameter each). Use the rolling pin to roll out the circles, starting from the centre and spreading the dough out to the edges.
6. It's time to apply the filling: spread about 1 teaspoon of the reserved bean paste in the center of each circle, then close each one, forming small balls. You should firmly press the ends of the dough together.
7. In the steamer accessory of the pressure cooker, place a sheet of baking paper and place the prepared dumplings on it (they won't all fit because they will grow, so only put 4 or 5 in this first batch), leaving space between them and with the joining point of the dough facing down (that is, the smooth side of each dumpling should be visible). Cover with cling film or a cotton cloth and let rest for approximately 30 minutes. Keep the rest of the balls covered with cling film so they don't dry out.
8. In the pressure cooker (already cleaned, after cooking the beans), place the bridge (the legs) of the steam accessory and add water to the pot (until it covers about 2 cm in height - no more, it should not exceed the height of the bridge). Put on the heat and bring to the boil.
9. Brush the duplings with melted butter gently, without applying pressure.
10. When the water in the pot is hot, be careful not to burn yourself and place the steamer insert in the pot, resting it on the bridge. Close the pot and heat it on high until it reaches cooking level 1. Leave it for two minutes and then turn off the heat, allowing the dumplings to steam in the residual heat, in just 3 to 5 minutes.
11. Release the steam from the pot and open it. Remove the dumplings made in the pressure cooker and repeat the operation with the rest of the reserved dumplings.

I hope you enjoy the recipe - remember that jjinppang is best served hot, so you can serve it soon after removing from the pot.