Meat buns?! 8D
 

So I keep hearing about meat buns in anime and j-drama, and they sound sooo good! Does anyone have any recipes for yummy meat buns? <3

They're called niku manju; here's two recipies

Nikuman Recipe | Cuisine | House of Japan - Japan News Technology Autos Culture Life Style

Nikuman

When I make them I usually cut a lot of the sugar in the dough as I find that makes them too sweet for my taste. Try not to crowd your steamer.

Aren't those Chinese? Like the Baozi?

Or are they just similar foods from East Asia?

Does anyone make manju at home?

They are Chinese. Members here use the term "Japanese food" very loosely.
Ramen is Chinese as well.

No one I know of does.

I do, but only because they are hard to find in the English countryside. Also some Japanese people must do, because there's quite a variety of nikuman recipes on cookpad. I guess also if you or your family have some kind of dietary requirement like low sodium, it's easier to make your own than try and find them.

I see manju a little like corn dogs or cotton candy, meaning a simple food that is a real pain to make yourself. That's why no one I have ever heard of makes it at home.

mmm, I'm not sure that really matches up. You need specialist equipment to make candy floss and i'm assuming corn dogs too (those are some kind of sausage, right?). I've made manju with nothing more complicated than a sieve propped over a saucepan. They're really easy to make.

How do you make the steamed buns?

Make dough, which is awesomely easy as it doesn't even use yeast or need rising, it's just squishing it all together. Season meat and onions with bamboo shoots if you have them (and this is mostly 100% store-cupboard ingredients. The only thing I might need to go out and get is fresh ginger, shoots or oyster sauce, although I cook asian a lot so I normally have all three to hand), combine the two into buns (can be done by hand as dough doesn't even need rolling or cutting out). Then steam over a pan of water in a lightly oiled sieve (or squares of parchment paper if you're feeling fancy) with the pan lid over the top in batches. It works just fine as long as the water doesn't touch the sieve and you don't overload it. I can usually do four at a time, or 8 if I use the colander as well. Really no more difficult than making pie. :/