Lamb Steamed Buns 'Buuz' – Everyday Mongolian Cuisine (International Recipe)

Name: Lamb Steamed Buns 'Buuz' – Everyday Mongolian Cuisine (International Recipe)
Total time: 5400 s
Yield: 25 buns
Ingredients: <Dough>; All-purpose flour 3 cups (about 375 grams); Hot water, about 160°F 1 cup (about 240 ml); 1 teaspoon Salt; <Filling>; Lamb, about the size and thickness of your palm; 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons Salt; 1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon water; <Essential Tools>; Rice cooker or steamer; Rolling pin; Skillet

蒙古媳婦 @cook_6866522

蒙古

You read that right! In Mongolia, these are called 'buuz', and they taste similar to the steamed dumplings you might know. The biggest difference is the filling—it's made with lamb. The ingredients are super simple, so let's make them together!

'Buuz' are a must-have food for Mongolian Lunar New Year (similar to the Taiwanese Spring Festival), and during the holiday, they're often the only food served. Starting a month before the festival, every household begins preparing to make thousands of buuz. Everything is made by hand, from rolling out the dough to chopping the meat, with the whole family working together—it's a true New Year tradition.

Buuz aren't just for the New Year; they're also a staple everyday meal and a great time-saver for busy cooks. On weekends, families often make hundreds of buuz to freeze. When you don't feel like cooking, you can steam them straight from the freezer—no need to thaw. Just pop them in a rice cooker or steamer, brew a pot of hot tea (like Mongolian salty milk tea), and you have a meal.

To learn more about daily life in Mongolia, check out 'Mongolian Wife's Encounters in Mongolia' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MGL.life.s/

蒙古媳婦 @cook_6866522

蒙古

To learn more about daily life in Mongolia, check out 'Mongolian Wife's Encounters in Mongolia' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MGL.life.s/

Saved

Ingredients

90 minutes

25 buns

All-purpose flour 3 cups (about 375 grams)
Hot water, about 160°F 1 cup (about 240 ml)
1 teaspoonSalt
Lamb, about the size and thickness of your palm
1onion
2 clovesgarlic
2 teaspoonsSalt
1/4 teaspoonGround black pepper
1 tablespoonwater
Rice cooker or steamer
Rolling pin
Skillet

Saved

Steps

90 minutes

1

Make the dough: Add all the dough ingredients to a bowl at once. Stir with chopsticks until small clumps form, then knead by hand until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl with a lid to prevent drying and let it rest.
2

Make the filling: Finely dice the lamb, onion, and garlic. Add salt and pepper, and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue mixing until the meat mixture becomes slightly sticky.
3

The dough and filling are now ready.
4

Divide the dough: Poke a hole in the center of the dough and stretch it into a log. Cut into small pieces about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) square, then roll each piece into a round wrapper.
5

Shape the buns: There are two common shapes—'leaf' and 'shumai' style.
For the leaf shape: Pinch the edges tightly with no gaps, alternating left and right, until the bun is sealed.
For shumai style: Pinch 5–6 pleats evenly around the edge.
This step takes some practice, but you'll get the hang of it after a few tries.
6

Steam the buns:
1. Rice cooker: Add 1 1/2 cups water to the outer pot. When the switch pops up, wait 5 more minutes before opening the lid. Let the buns cool slightly before removing.
2. Steamer: Once the water is boiling, steam for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait 5 minutes before opening the lid. Let the buns cool slightly before removing.
Letting the buns cool before removing helps prevent the wrappers from getting too wet and tearing.
7

Done! Enjoy them hot—they're the most delicious this way!
8

Tips:
1. For the lamb, choose a cut with the fat-to-lean ratio you prefer, but avoid cuts with tendons or bones. If fresh lamb is hard to find, frozen sliced lamb works too.
2. You can make a large batch at once and freeze them for later.
3. Dough ratio: flour to hot water is 3:1, but you can adjust based on your batch size or container.
4. Any leftover filling can be used for fried rice or stir-fries—delicious and versatile.
5. Don't throw away leftover dough—roll it out and use it as a wrapper for breakfast egg pancakes.