Gather all the ingredients. You can use ground beef, pork, chicken breast, chicken tenders, or boneless chicken thigh for the meat. Coarsely ground meat works best, or you can finely chop it by hand. Use firm tofu, as it holds its shape better when diced and cooked.

You can either blanch the tofu cubes in boiling water or pan-fry them. Blanching keeps the tofu tender, while pan-frying gives it more flavor and helps it absorb the sauce. Choose whichever method you prefer.

Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Sauté the minced ginger until fragrant, then add the ground meat and cook until it breaks apart. Stir in the spicy hot pot sauce and cook until aromatic, then add the rest of the seasonings and stir briefly. Finally, add the cooked tofu cubes and gently mix until combined. Do not over-stir.

Note: This filling is for steamed buns, so do not add extra water or stew the mixture. Just mix the tofu and sauce together until combined.

Transfer the cooked tofu filling to a bowl and let it cool. It’s best to prepare the filling before making the dough.

Once the tofu filling has cooled, add the chopped green onions and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired, or add chili powder for extra heat.

Spicy hot pot sauce can be found online or in Asian grocery stores, usually in pouches. It’s different from regular spicy sauces, which are often sold in jars. Use your preferred brand, but hot pot sauce tends to be more aromatic. (For reference, I used the 'Wang Jia Du' brand, but any brand you like will work.)

If you have a stand mixer or bread machine, you can use it to knead the dough. For hand mixing, combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then add the oil and water (add 1 cup first, then add more water as needed, depending on your flour’s absorption; add water gradually, not all at once). Use chopsticks to stir until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand on a work surface until smooth. (Don’t make the dough too soft; a firmer dough will give the buns a better shape.)

The dough does not need to rise at this stage. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then roll the dough into a log and divide into equal pieces. (This recipe makes 14 medium-large buns, about 2 ounces/55 grams each.)

Shape each piece into a smooth ball, let them rest briefly, then roll each into a round wrapper with a slightly thicker center and thinner edges.

Place a portion of the tofu filling in the center of each wrapper, then pleat and seal the buns as you like. Place each bun on a square of parchment paper. The tofu filling is less sticky than meat filling, so don’t overfill to make wrapping easier. Arrange the buns in a steamer basket, leaving space between them. Cover and let the buns rise for 20–30 minutes, depending on room temperature.

When the buns are puffy and spring back when gently pressed, they are ready to steam. Bring water to a boil in your steamer. Place the proofed buns in the steamer over boiling water. Since the filling is already cooked, steam over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes. After steaming, let the buns sit in the steamer for 3–5 minutes before opening the lid to prevent the skins from shrinking.

If you have leftovers or want to make extra, you can freeze the cooked buns. Reheat by steaming whenever you want to enjoy them.

This is a mildly spicy filling (in my opinion). If you’re making these for children or prefer less heat, you can substitute the spicy hot pot sauce with a mild bean paste. Adjust to your taste.