EntrePinoys Atbp.

Dimsums are great for snacks, and as a business, they require minimal capital and are easy to make.

Generally, even if you make a high markup for your putopao, you should have a competitive advantage over vendors selling then in the malls. When you sell them to your neighbors, in particular, you can always price them lower because of your much lower distribution and overhead costs.

Start-up capital is 320 for 30 pieces of putopao, and time to finish is 1 hour.

Materials Needed:

Wooden Ladle or whip Spatula Measuring spoons and cups Kitchen weighing scale Serving tray Pressure cooker or casserole

Bowls Ladle Steamer Knives Gas stove Wok or skillet

You can buy the ingredients at the supermarket or public market; the rest you’ll probably already have in your kitchen. You’ll need around P160.

Ingredients:

Putopao is a bun with asado toppings or fillings. To make it, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 kg all-purpose flour (P30/kg)
• 250 g white sugar (P38/kg)
• 1/4 cup baking powder (P8.50/50 g)
• 2-1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp or 30 g melted butter (P20/bar of 225 g)

For the asado, on the other hand, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 kg of ground lean pork (P135/kg)
• 1 piece laurel leaf (P0.50/3 pcs)
• 1 piece star anise (P5/pack)
• 1/2 cup or 112 ml of soy sauce (P5/200 ml pouch)
• 1/2 cup water
• I/2 cup or 125 g of white sugar
• 1 tsp or 2g cornstarch (P10/100g)
• 2 cloves garlic (P5 per 3 bulbs; each bulb has about 10 cloves)

Procedure

1. Start by cooking the asado. While preheating the pan or a skillet over low heat, mince the garlic. Once the pan is hot enough, put all the ingredients together. Mix until the meat is cooked and becomes tender. Discard the star anise and the laurel once the meat gets tender. (The star anise and laurel leaf are only meant to givea savory aroma to your dish.)

2. So the meat won’t become crispy, don’t saute or braise it. Cook it only in water and soy sauce. Let the meat absorb all the liquid until it dries out. After that, turn off the stove and set the cooked meat or asado aside. This asado can fill four sets of your bun recipe. Let it cool and start doing the buns.

3. Get all the dry ingredients and mix them in a bowl. Then add water. Using a wooden ladle or whip, dissolve all the ingredients. Continue mixing them until you achieve a smooth texture. Then add the melted butter (you could also use cooking oil as an alternative). Mix. You’ll know when the mix is ready for steaming when there are no lumps left.

4. Afterwards, get the ounce-size molds. Pour in the mixture until each mold is three fourths full. Put one teaspoon of the asado on top. If you want to make it a filling, then fill the mold a quarter full and put one teaspoon of asado. Then pour in the mixture until it is almost full. Arrange the molds in the steamer, which should contain enough water. Steam for 30 minutes in boiling temperature.

5. Make sure there’s enough water to steam your putopaos. After 30 minutes, take off the putopaos from the molds. Your yield for this set should be 48 pieces.

Tips: You can also use other toppings like cheese or sliced salted egg. Josie de Jesus, lecturer at the baking division of UEFC, advises that you shouldn’t re-steam putopaos repeatedly. Once re-steamed, they should be consumed at once, she says. Otherwise, the quality and taste of the putopao deteriorates and it becomes prone to spoilage.

How Much Will You Make

You may pack this putopaos into 10 pieces per pack using a big paper plate, then sell each pack for P45; or you may choose to pack them into 5 pieces per pack for P23.

source: Mishell Malabaguio, www.entrepreneur.com.ph, photos by Tuna Lecaros-Felipe

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