Bakery Style Kharaa Buns / Savory Onion Dill Buns | Snack Recipes

Tea times in India are filled with chatter, chai and a snack. The snack part is mostly from the local bakery. Samosa, Vegetable Puffs & Vegetable Cutlets are the most commonly sought after snacks. But every place has its specialties. When we visit my aunt in Bangalore the snacks are different. It is native to that place, viz Kodubale, Obbittu and these Khara buns. These buns have been in my to-do list for a while now and I set out to make these when my LO was taking his nap. These Khara buns are to die for. These are like savory and spicy pillows of heaven. 

Ingredients:

Recipe from The Chef and Her Kitchen
Makes 12 buns;
Maida/All purpose flour - 3-1/4 cups + more for kneading

Salt - 1 tsp

Water - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Yeast, Active dry - 1 pkt (2-1/4 tsp)

Sugar 1-1/2 tbsp

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp + more for greasing

For the savory addition:

Oil - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 cup (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves, loosely packed - 1 cup

Dill leaves, loosely packed - 1 cup

Green chillies, coarsely ground - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp
For brushing on top:
Milk - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:

Warm up the water and milk for about 60-80 secs in a microwave-proof bowl. Your finger should be able to feel the warm, but it should not be too hot. Add the sugar, yeast and mix well. Set aside for the yeast to bloom, about 10 minutes. 
In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and pop the cumin seeds, followed by the onions and the ground chillies. Saute until the onions are completely cooked. Add the chopped dill leaves and coriander leaves and salt. Mix well and remove from heat to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour (3-1/4 cups) and salt together. Add the yeast mixture, oil and knead to form a dough. If the dough is too sticky sprinkle flour as needed while kneading. Remember, the dough should not be too stiff because it means the yeast needs moisture to grow. When the dough comes together, knead for a good 10 minutes. Add the cooled onion mixture and continue kneading for another 10 minutes adding flour as needed. It would be the best 20 minutes spent to let off steam. At this stage the dough should be smooth and not sticky (see the collage pictures above).
Preheat your oven to warm mode/the lowest temperature setting for 2 minutes and turn it off. Take another large bowl and grease the bottom and sides of the bowl completely. Apply oil all over the dough and place it in the oiled bowl and cover with a wet cloth. Place inside the warmed oven for about an hour or hour-and-a-half.  The dough would have doubled in size by now. Punch down the dough and make 12 equal-sized balls. Line two baking sheets with aluminium foil and grease with oil. Place the balls, 6 on each sheet and cover with wet cloth. Allow it to rise again for about 45 minutes. 
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C. When the 45 minutes of rising is up brush the top with milk and place the baking sheets inside the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F / 180 C. Bake for about 18-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with butter. Butter is what give the beautiful shine to the buns.
Serve warm as an accompaniment to tea/coffee.
Notes:
You can do any filling you want. Replace the onion filling with a potato-pea mixture or add shredded coconut with sugar for a sweet bun. Play around with the flavours and relish.