To prepare my spicy chicken stuffed buns, I used a chicken and vegetable filling. I shaped them into small balls and baked them in the oven. You can use any type of filling, depending on your preference.
Ingredients:
For filling:
- 1-pound chicken (or 2 chicken breast pieces), cut into small strips
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon all-spice powder or ‘garam masala’
- 1 tablespoon roasted combination of spice powder (1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon raw coriander, and 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes; combine and roast on low flame, then grind into a powdered form)
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 tablespoon crispy fried onions (or ready-made fried onions), crushed
- 1 egg white (whisked)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3 tablespoons oil (to pan-fry chicken strips)
- Salt according to taste
- Vegetables (optional):
- Cabbage, sliced
- Carrots, grated
- Spring onion, sliced
For bun:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- I tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole-milk (or plain yoghurt)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs whisked (1 for making dough, and 1 egg for sprinkling before baking)
- 2 teaspoons nigella seeds
- Parchment paper
- Non-stick oil or spray
- Salt according to taste
Method:
For chicken filling:
In a large bowl, combine the all-spice powder, the roasted combination of spice powder, paprika powder, garlic and ginger paste, lime juice, crushed golden fried onions, salt, and sour cream to make a smooth mixture. Coat the chicken strips generously with the spice mixture. Marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottom pan over medium heat. Before frying, coat each chicken strip with the whisked egg white. Then lay the chicken in a single layer in the pan (do not over-crowd). Reduce the heat and fry the chicken on low heat until it turns golden brown. Set aside.
In a separate pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir-fry carrots and spring onions for about 1-2 minutes. Combine them with fried chicken strips. Set aside.
For bun:
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water with sugar. Leave for 10 minutes.
Tip: Make sure water is lukewarm. (If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast.) Yeast is active if the bubbles appear when dissolved in water.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, oil, yogurt, and salt. Then pour the beaten egg and yeast solution in the flour mixture and mix well until the flour is in a dough form. Then knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes until it looks smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, seal the bowl with cling wrap, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour. Once the dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal portions, cover it with a kitchen cloth, and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes so that the dough rises again. Then shape each of the 6 portions into small balls and roll each of them out to into a flatbread. Top each piece, then add chicken, vegetables, and mozzarella filling. Fold each dough over filling from the center; pinch edges to seal. Repeat the same steps for each of the dough pieces.
Assembling:
Grease the baking sheet. Arrange buns on baking sheet evenly. Brush each bun topped with whisked egg and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Set aside.
Bake:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, until the buns begin to turn light golden in color on top. Remove from the oven and allow them to set, then serve with your favorite sauce.
