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Siddu
Himachali steamed wheat buns stuffed with walnut, poppy seed and green chilli, served with ghee (dough proves 1 hour)
Siddu are soft, steamed wheat buns from the hills of Himachal Pradesh, especially around Kullu and Manali, made on cold days with a warming filling. The yeasted wholemeal dough is wrapped around ground walnuts, poppy seeds, garlic and green chilli, then steamed until fluffy. Torn open and drenched in melted ghee, they're eaten with green chutney or dal. Some homes fill them with spiced urad dal instead. Chef's tip: let the shaped siddu rise for 15 minutes before steaming, and don't open the lid early; a sudden draught makes them collapse and turn dense.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the walnut filling
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz whole wheat flour (atta), 1 tsp instant dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt. Add ¾ cup warm water gradually and knead for 8 minutes into a soft, slightly sticky dough, then knead in 1 tbsp vegetable oil until smooth.
8 minStep 2: Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size and a finger poked in leaves a dent that slowly fills.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile drain 2 tbsp white poppy seeds. Pound or pulse 2 ⅞ oz walnuts, poppy, 2 green chillies, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger and ½ oz fresh coriander to a coarse paste; a little texture is good. Stir in 1 small onion, 1 tsp lemon juice and ½ tsp salt.
Step 4: Knock back the dough and divide it into 8. Roll each into an oval about 12 cm long, spread a tablespoon of filling down the middle, fold over into a half-moon and pinch the edges tightly to seal.
Step 5: Set the siddu on oiled steamer plates (or a greased colander) with space between them, cover and leave for 15 minutes to rise again.
15 minStep 6: Bring water in the steamer to a strong boil. Steam the siddu covered over a medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until they are puffed, matte and spring back when pressed, and a skewer comes out clean. Don't lift the lid for the first 15 minutes.
25 minStep 7: Turn off the heat and wait 2 minutes before opening, so the buns don't wrinkle from the sudden cold. Serve hot, split open and spooned with 4 tbsp ghee, with green coriander chutney on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does siddu take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
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