Sri Lankan Fish Buns (Maalu Paan)

Sri Lankan fish buns, also known as "maalu paan," are a popular savory pastry in Sri Lanka. These buns are a beloved snack, often enjoyed for breakfast, tea time, or as a quick bite throughout the day. The filling is the star of the fish bun, made with a delicious and aromatic mixture of fish, potatoes and spices. In summary, Sri Lankan fish buns are a deliciously savory pastry featuring a soft, slightly sweet dough encasing a spicy, aromatic fish filling, embodying the rich flavors and culinary traditions of Sri Lanka. 

(servings : 9 buns)

Ingredients

For the dough

385g all purpose flour
7g instant yeast
4 tbsp milk powder
4 tbsp sugar

35g butter 
1 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water

For the egg wash

2 tbsp fresh milk

1 egg 

Filling 

Spicy Fish & Potatoe filling (Click here https://www.shanas.kitchen/2018/11/spicy-fish-and-potato-filling.html) 

Directions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients first in a mixing bowl. Then add warm water gradually and mix well until all the flour is incorporated into the flour. Knead into a dough. 
2. Now add butter and knead well for about 10 minutes. The dough should be a slightly sticky dough but it should not stick totally to any surface. Cover and leave it in a warm place to double in size.
   
   
   
3. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide the dough into 9 equal dough balls each weighing 75g. Tuck in the edges towards the center and roll the balls in to small dough balls. 
4. Cover the dough balls and leave it for 15 minutes to rise. 
5. After the dough balls have rested, take each dough ball and flatten the edges with rolling pin or your fingers. The centre should be a little thick and bumped. Now place the fish and potatoe filling and fold from three sides towards the centre and pinch to seal it tight. 
6. Place them in a greased or parchment paper lined baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 15 minutes. (This is a very important step.) Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 
7. Brush the buns with egg wash. Bake the fish buns for 20-25 minutes under 180 degrees Celsius, until the buns are golden brown. 
   
   
   
8. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, apply melted butter and close it using a foil paper or a clean cloth to make the buns sweat for about 15 minutes. (The buns become soft when it sweats.) Your fish buns are ready! Enjoy!