Name: Bukharan Steamed Buns with Cilantro and Chives
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes 24 buns, which will serve 8 to 12
Cuisine: Central Asia
Ingredients: 1½ tablespoons sesame oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter; ¼ cup chopped chives or scallion greens; ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ cup warm water; 1 package dry yeast; 2 teaspoons salt; 24 3-inch-square pieces of parchment paper; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 4 cups flour, or as needed; 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil or vegetable oil, plus a little oil for the dough bowl; ¾ cup warm skim milk

Preparation info

Makes 24 buns, which will serve
8 to 12

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
1 hr

Appears in

Healthy Jewish Cooking

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2000

About

North American Jews have long had a special fondness for Chinese food. (After all, who else fills all those Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day and Easter?) I was intrigued to learn of another Judeo-Chinese food relationship: that of the Jews of Bukhara in Central Asia. According to Rabbi Gil Marks, author of The World of Jewish Cooking (Simon & Schuster, 1996), yutangza are herb-flavored buns beloved by Bukharan Jews and steamed in the style of the Chinese. I’ve taken a few liberties