If you browse food delivery apps endlessly to catch the latest food options in town, you may have noticed the ‘bao’ on more than a handful of menus. What is a bao? Bao is a round, soft and fluffy dough that is steamed and folded over a filling. It sounds like a burger, but is actually a closed bun steamed/fried with fillings. Also, it is not as messy as a burger.
The bao, baozi or steamed bun is made of flour, oil, sugar, yeast, baking powder, milk and oil. . Traditionally baos were stuffed with pulled pork meat, but as it grew popularacross the world, the bao filling got more diverse. In India, chicken, prawns and duck baos are popular. Now, almost every restaurant in Hyderabad serving Pan Asian food has bao on its list. Here is a select list of a few we have tasted for you.
Lotus flour bao, chicken and prawn version at Pa Pa Ya
Pa Pa Ya: The baos at this Pan Asian restaurant in Jubilee hills are made with Lotus stem flour; so they are non-chewy. The prawn and chicken filling are crispoutside and soft inside, making the baos easy to bite . They only add a few slivers of crunchy lettuce leaves and bell peppers and the bao is served with cheesy chipotle sauce. They are a must try.
Bao at Whisky Samba
Whisky Samba: Assemble this bao and enjoy. It is the simplest bao yet the tastiest one. At WS at Salarpuriya Sattva Knowledge City bao comes with chicken karaage, a Japanese style bite-sized fried chicken. For karaage, only chicken thigh pieces are used and they are dusted with flour and deep-fried in hot oil. Every bite is a joy.
Taro and Tempeh Bao at Buma Burma
Burma Burma: Bao fillings have become so diverse, that the Burmese vegetarian restaurant Burma Burma at Salarpuriya Satva Knowledge City has a bao with mock meat. This bao is light and airy and is served with papadam. The other option is Taro and Tempeh pan-seared bao; that is bao stuffed with slow-cooked tempeh, taro and tofu. Definitely something new to try.
Taro: How about some duck for the filling. Taro at Jubilee Hills has a bao with smoked duck. It is light, non-chewy and with a faint sweetness; you will not regret having this one.
Korean chicken Bao at Haiku
Haiku: Korean Chicken Bao at Haiku — in Kokapet and Jubilee Hills — is a hot affair. Fried chicken with french beans, basil and birds eye chilli come together to create a burst of flavours. For the non-meat eaters the assorted mushroom in spicy Korean kimchi bao is a must-have. This bao comes together with Shiitake mushroom, bell peppers and chilli garlic oil.
