Masala buns recipe, Khara buns, Mini savory buns recipe

Masala buns/ Khara buns are bakery style mini savory buns with lots of flavors and mild spiciness is an excellent tea time snack. Masala buns are prepared by adding chopped onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro and few other spices to add to its taste. Adding yeast while kneading the dough gives fluffy and soft buns. These soft pillowy buns are achieved without much strain and work making it easy even for beginners to prepare. The only key to get it right is to knead a super soft dough for which I have given the accurate measurements with which I was able to bake. Also i have crushed the ginger and garlic with mortar and pestle to make the buns more aromatic, which can be replaced with ginger garlic paste and you can also add chopped green chilli for added spiciness. So lets get to the making!

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Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida – 1 cup
Yeast – 1 tsp
Water – ¼ cup
Milk – 1 tsp + 2 tbsp (for milk wash)
Salt – to taste
Sugar – ¼ tsp
Chopped onion – ¼ cup
Ginger and Garlic – 1/2 tsp (crushed)
Red chilli flake – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder – ¼ tsp
Chopped cilantro – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Butter – 1/2 tsp

Note

* 1 cup = 160 ml

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How to make khara buns with step by step images

In a cup add water, yeast and sugar. Mix well and keep it aside for 15 minutes or until frothy.
In a wide bowl add all purpose flour/ maida, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, crushed ginger garlic, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, oil and chilli flakes.
Mix well and add yeast mixture and 1 tsp spoon milk to form a smooth soft dough. If you need little extra milk you can add but make sure the should not be sticky one but similar to chapati dough. Kneading soft dough is very important step as it helps in baking pillow soft buns. Cover the dough and allow it rest for 2 hours.
After 2 hours punch the dough to remove the air trapped in the dough and knead it gently just once. Line a wax paper/ parchment paper on a baking tray. Now divide the dough into 4 equal golf sized balls. Place the dough balls on the wax paper/ butter paper with equal distance. (You can also grease the baking tray with few drops of oil instead of wax paper/ parchment paper)
Now cover the buns with a cloth for 10 minutes. This step helps in proofing the dough. Meanwhile preheat oven at 350 F/ 180 C. After 10 minutes remove the cloth and you will see the dough rise a little taking perfect bun shape.
Now using a basting brush/ tissue/ cloth apply milk over the buns in simple words milk wash the buns for achieving golden brown top. Now garnish it with some sesame seeds.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until it get even browning. After 15 minutes remove the buns from the oven when it done. Every oven is different so the timing may change.
Smear little butter on the bun to give it that glossy look. Allow it to cool a little and serve it hot with tea/ coffee!

Notes

Chop onions and cilantro finely so that you don’t taste big chunks of it.
Always use luke warm water for mixing yeast as hot water will not activate yeast. Make sure you yeast mixture is frothy before adding it to the flour.
Use only wide bowl to knead and rest the dough as the dough needs room to rise/ double in size.
Make sure to knead the dough really soft as it will lead to super soft buns.
Resting the dough fr 2 hours is must in order to double the size of dough.
milk wash can be replace with egg wash as well for eve browning.