Nourishing Traditional Mongolian Airtight Cooking, Part 2 of 2 – Vegan Banshtai Tsai (Tea Dumplings)

“This time we’re going to make (vegan) milk tea with dumplings, which is a favorite Mongolian cuisine. To make the dumplings, we surely need flour. And a few kinds of vegetables which are rich in protein and nutrition. And some herbs for seasonings. We will use these ingredients to cook the special tea. Then we will add plant-based milk into the tea base.”

“Generally, the ratio of flour to water is 2:1. This will make the dough perfect, which is smooth and fine in texture. Next, let’s add80 to 90 grams of water. If the dough turns out to be too hard, it will require a bit more strength to roll. Now cover the dough with a piece of cloth or a lid and let it rest for 20 minutes. Now let’s chop the vegetables for the dumpling fillings.” “Making dumplings and “buuz” is one of the main activities during our traditional Lunar New Year holiday. We have a custom where family members gather together and have a warm conversation while making dumplings together. Now let’s start our most important step, which is wrapping the dumplings. This is the filling we prepared earlier. Because we added liquid seasonings such as soya sauce and sesame oil, the liquid has settled at the bottom of the bowl. So we should mix it well and stir it once again. Now let’s start wrapping our dumplings.”

“Now, the next step to prepare our special recipe tea. Let’s put some oil into the pan. Then add the millet And add the barley flour. Also here are the mushroom stems. Now turn on the stove to medium heat. Stir fry all the ingredients in the oil for a while. Tea prepared in this way tastes better. It also helps relieve fatigue and promotes relaxation.”

“They are all floating to the top. This means the dumpling tea is ready. Now let’s scoop the dumpling tea into a bowl. First, let me taste the tea. Mmm…. This is exactly how the enriched special Mongolian tea tastes like. It tastes so good. Once we drink this tea, we no longer feel fatigued. Now let’s try the dumplings. It has a flavorful and pleasant taste. It has an earthy flavor. The filling inside the dumpling is colorful and vibrant. They are indeed very delicious. Healthy, and nutritious dumplings, rich in protein and vitamins.”