This vegan Japanese food Oyaki has healthy, savoury fillings inside a low-fat bun that is made of simple ingredients! It’s very versatile, you can stuff the buns with various fillings so it can be savoury or sweet:) Try this yummy vegan Oyaki (Japanese stuffed buns) with juicy filling, it’s easy to make and you may already have the ingredients needed for this recipe!
Oyaki is one of the traditional food originated from Nagano, Japan and it’s very popular among the tourists. The most traditional Oyaki is stuffed with pickled leafy vegetables (Nozawana) for the savoury one and sweet azuki bean paste (Anko) for the sweet one. However we have more options for the fillings these days and it’s fun to choose which filling to put whether you are making Oyaki at home or buying some from a shop.
Oyaki is great for snacks, lunch or dinner and also perfect for a packed lunch too.
Filing suggestions
- Mushrooms and soya mince
- Vegan cheese and leek
- Aubergine and onion
- Pumpkin
- Cooked apple
- Sweet potato
- Beans and kale
- Vegan meat substitute such as Vegetarian Hoisin Duck from Linda McCartney’s
It takes longer than making stir fried veggies as the filling has to be cooled before it goes inside the pastry but the making process is very simple and you only need a few ingredients.
Ingredients needed for Oyaki
For the bun
- Plain flour
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- salt
- Vegetable oil or any other un-flavoured oil
- water
For the filling
- Dry soya mince
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Scallion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Miso paste
- Sugar
- Soy Sauce
Quick making guide
- First, you need to make the dough for the buns! Mix together the plain flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and vegetable oil and mix until combined. Wrap in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- While the pastry dough is resting, rehydrate dry soya mince with some hot water in a bowl. Chop the vegetables and cook them in a frying pan with the rehydrated soy mince. Mix the miso, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl and pour in the pan, continue cooking for a few minutes. Allow to cool.
- Put your rested dough on a floured surface of your kitchen table. Divide into 6 and roll each one to a circular shape about 12cm in diameter, the edge is slightly thinner than the middle part.
- Place the rolled pastry on your palm and put about 1-2 table spoons of the filling in the middle. Gently pick up the edge and wrap the filling, seal the last part of the edge with a bit of water. Continue to make 5 more.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6)
- Heat some oil in a frying pan and place the Oyaki. Cook both sides until slightly golden and transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
I served the Oyaki with miso soup and potato salad and the meal went down really well and it was great in my packed lunch next day as well. They are delicious hot or cold and last for 3 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Vegan Oyaki (Japanese stuffed buns)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 150 g Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the filling
- 1 medium Onion chopped finely
- 6 medium Button mushrooms chopped finely
- 2 stalks Scallions chopped finely
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Miso paste
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- some Water as needed (you might not use it at all)
- 90 g Water
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil or any other non-flavoured oil
Instructions
To make the dough for the buns
- Mix together the plain flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and vegetable oil and mix until combined. Form into a ball and wrap in cling film, let it rest for 30 minutes.
To make the filling
- While the pastry dough is resting, rehydrate dry soya mince with some hot water in a bowl. Chop the vegetables.
- Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped vegetables. Mix the miso, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl and pour in the pan, continue cooking for a few minutes. *¹ If it looks too dry, add a little amount of water. Allow to cool.
- Put your rested dough on a floured surface of your kitchen table. Divide into 6 and roll each one to a circular shape about 12cm in diameter, the edge is slightly thinner than the middle part.
- Place the rolled pastry on your palm and put about 1-2 table spoons of the filling in the middle. Gently pick up the edge, cover and wrap the filling. Seal the last part of the edge with a bit of water. Repeat the step to make 5 more.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6)
- Heat some oil in a frying pan and place the Oyaki. Cook both sides until slightly golden.
- Transfer the Oyaki to a baking tray lined with baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven, turn over halfway through the cooking. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.