ALOO MASALA BUNS

One more Karnataka special. These buns can be found in any bakery in Karnataka.
The process to make these is tedious but the end result, awesome!!

I made these with Maida. Next time will try with Wheat flour.
Recipe Reference: from here

Ingredients:
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 1 Tbsp
Til/Sesame seeds - 1 Tsp
Masala Bun:  Makes around 18
Maida - 4 Cups
Wheat flour - 1/2 Cup
Active Dry Yeast - 1 1/2 Packet
Salt - 3 tsp
Sugar - 3 Tbsp
Milk - 3/4 Cup
Water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup extra if needed
Butter or Olive Oil - 6 Tbsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 Tbsp
Ajwain/carom seeds - 1 tsp [You can skip Ajwain and chilli flakes and make plain buns]
Stuffing:
Potato - 3/4 Kg
Matar/Peas - 1/2 Cup
Salt - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp

Method Of Preparation:
Masala Bun Dough:
Warm Milk. [ microwave for 30 seconds]
Add yeast and sugar. Mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes. It will become frothy.

Mix Maida, wheat flour, chilli flakes, salt, crushed ajwain and oil. Add the frothy yeast and mix everything together. Add water slowly and make a soft dough. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and knead really well for around 5-7 minutes.

Keep it covered in a big bowl so that it has enough space to double up. After an hour or two, it should double in size.

Mean time, prepare the filling; 

Boil potatoes. [I cooked in pressure cooker for 20 minutes]
After they cool down. Peel the skin. Mash potatoes and keep aside.
Add Oil in a vessel. When its hot, add Jeera. After they splutter, add Peas and fry for 5 mins.
Now add mashed potatoes and all the spice powders and mix well. Check for salt and spices. [add extra if required.]
Cook for 5 mins. Filling is ready. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Masala Bun Dough; Bun Preparation:

Check if the dough has doubled in size. If it hasn't then the yeast didn't work. You can still go ahead and make the buns but they won't be soft. [ my first attempt was a disaster.buns turned out hard] [I guess we can prepare NAAN with the dough if it hasn't raised well.]
If the dough has doubled; then knead well for 5 mins. This is to remove any air bubbles.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. Grease the sheet.
Make small balls out of the dough and arrange on the sheet with enough space between them.
Make small balls out of the filling.

Keep them aside covered for at least 15 minutes. They will expand in size again.

Now, again press the bun dough balls and flatten them. [Just like paratha filling preparation]. Stuff the filling and close the ends well and make it like a ball. Repeat the process till the bun dough is over. Make sure the buns are not dry. apply oil while stuffing so that they are well greased.

Just to make it look nicer, I sprinkled til seeds on top of them.

I don't eat eggs, so didn't give any egg wash to get that golden color. Instead I gave milk wash. Just brush each buns with little milk.

Pre heat oven to 375F/190C.
Keep all the prepared buns covered for at least 15 minutes till you pre heat the oven. They will puff up a little again. This is the final stage.
Now, bake the buns for at least 20 minutes in pre heated oven.
Take them out of the oven. Butter them if you like. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes. [We could not wait,they were really hot when we tried to dig in :) ]

Cut in half. Enjoy amazing buns with spicy sauce and Tea/Coffee. :)