Potato, Sweet Potato,Carrots And Peas Stuffed Masala Buns/Palya Buns (Cricket World Cup 2011 Special)

**This is a post dedicated to "Cricket World Cup 2011" Finals (Happening today) -- "Chak De! India( = Go For It! India)" **

I have seen plenty of folks make this famous "Masala Buns"( also called as "Palya Buns") and now its my turn.:). The reason why I didn't make this before was due to my fear of "Yeast". One of my New Year's resolution was to get over this fear.Now I have to pat myself on the back cause I went and did it.I know its quite silly to be nervous about a frothy ingredient that loves to eat sugary stuff and excrete carbon-di-oxide.Isn't it?
It has always been my dream to bake Bread/Rolls/Buns in my kitchen,be enthralled and enveloped by the smell of freshly baked goods coming right out of my oven.Now that it has finally happened,I am over the moon. Here I was thinking that I was somehow going to mess it up but I didn't. And this recipe is a keeper.It will be made over and over again with all kinds of fillings. This time though I went with "Potato, Sweet Potato, Carrot and Peas" filling. Yea, Yea,I know. I have bought plenty of Sweet Potatoes and I am looking for ways to use it up. So bear with me.
Now I am on a roll towards making rolls, buns and the likes. I have to thank Champa of "Versatile Kitchen" who has clarified many of my "bread baking/vital wheat gluten/yeast" related questions. So I told to myself that if I ever bake anything with Yeast, it will be from her blog and post about it - my way of showing gratitude to someone who took time to help me lay my "yeastly demons" to a rest. Champa has been baking with yeast for quite some time and she has plenty of posts on breads and rolls. So make sure to drop by her space.
Why did I post so early today, you may wonder. Well its because many of my blog buddies have decided to post some kind of "Game Day Food"  today as its the Finals of Cricket World Cup 2011 between India and Sri Lanka. India is in the finals. Woooohoooooo. Well done, Boys in (Light) Blue! The Very Best Of Luck to you all! Sri Lanka, Bring it onnn!
Hey Guys, did you notice something new about my space?? I have made the pictures bigger. How do you all like it? Let me know.

Ingredients:
For the Buns:

• 3 Cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 Tsp Dry Yeast
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1/2 Cup Warm Milk + more for kneading
• 1/2 Stick (4 Tbsp) Butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

For the Filling:

• 5-6 Small Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 3 Small Carrots, peeled and sliced thickly
• 1/4 Cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minces
• 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 Tsp Fennel seeds
• 3 Green Chilies or less/more, finely chopped
• 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt as needed

For the Egg Wash or Milk Wash for the buns:
If you choose Egg Wash:

• 1 Egg Whisked

If you choose Milk Wash:

• 1 Tbsp Milk + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil + 1/2 Tsp Sugar

Procedure:

• To check if the Yeast is Alive: Pour the warm water, sugar and the yeast in a wide pan and let it sit in a warm spot undisturbed for 10 minutes. If it becomes frothy and bubbly like in the picture below, then Its active.

• Add the flour, milk, salt, butter to the pan and adding more warm milk as needed to make a soft pliable dough. Knead it for 8-10 minutes on a flat board using a "push-pull" motion. Smear oil on the top.

• Cover and let the dough rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes to an hour.

• Meanwhile add the Potato, Sweet Potato and Carrot in a pot of "slightly salted" water and bring to a boil.

• Remove and drain the veggies once they are fork tender. Roughly smash them and set aside.

• In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp of Olive oil and saute the garlic, onions, green chilies, fennel seeds until the onions are slightly browned. Add the salt, turmeric and garam masala powder and saute for a couple more minutes.

• Throw the smashed vegetables along with fresh/frozen peas and toss them together till the evenly incorporated. Check for taste. Add more spice or salt if needed. Divide the mixture into 11-12 even-sized balls.

• The dough doubles in size after an hour.

• Divide the dough into 11-12 even-sized balls. Smear little oil on top and cover it. Let it rest for 15 more minutes.

• Pat the dough into 3-4 inch circles on a plate with hands. Place a "golf ball" sized filling mixture in the center.

• Bring the edges together to the top.

• Press all the edges on the top making sure the filling is securely enveloped inside the dough.

• Repeat the same for all the dough balls and place them on a baking sheet "seam-side" down. Let it rest for 45 more minutes.
• Give them an egg-wash or milk-wash before baking them.

• Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Bake them in a 350F oven for 18-22 minutes in the center rack.

• They should be slightly browned on the top, like below-

• Have at it with a cup of tea/coffee to wash it down. It tastes good the next day too.

Makes 11-12 Single Servings.

Enjoy!