Learn how to make Sri Lankan Fish Buns from scratch at home. These fish buns are locally called Malu Paan (මාළු පාන්) or Malu Banis (මාළු බනිස්). They are flavorful triangle-shaped Fish Buns filled with spicy fish & potato filling.
Learn how to make
Sri Lankan Fish Buns (Malu Paan)
Stuffed buns are a very popular savory snack or short eats* in Sri Lanka. You will find small buns stuffed with various spicy savory fillings like meat, fish, or vegetables. * In Sri Lanka, savory and spicy baked or fried snacks are called ‘Short Eats’.
When the filling has fish, it is a fish bun (malu paan, මාළු පාන් or malu banis, මාළු බනිස්). Fish buns are perhaps the most popular stuffed buns. These flavorful triangle-shaped Fish Buns are filled with spicy fish & potato filling.
Fish Buns (Malu Paan) are sold pretty much everywhere in Sri Lanka. They are a huge favorite and very handy to eat, so loved by both kids and adults. They are great as snacks but you can have them even for lunch. Perfect to take on a picnic, for lunch box, or as a party food. They are usually served with spicy chili sauce and pair well with sweetened plain tea.
In this post, I will show you how to make Fish Buns easily from scratch! If you have never tried making them at home, then this easy beginner-friendly recipe will help you. It includes step-by-step instructions and tips.
What Is Malu Paan or Malu Banis?
In Sinhalese, ‘malu’ or ‘maalu’ means ‘fish’.
‘pan’ or ‘paan’ means ‘bread’ and ‘banis’ means ‘buns’.
So, ‘malu paan’ means ‘fish bread’ and ‘malu banis’ means ‘fish buns’.
What is Sri Lankan ‘Short Eats’?
Savory and spicy baked or deep-fried, bite-sized snacks are commonly known as ‘short eats’ in Sri Lanka. Short eats are a kind of fusion foods that are influenced by various nations like Arab, Indian, Chinese, and European.
Both adults and kids love them for tea-time snacks. They are also very popular at parties as finger foods. In Sri Lanka, there is never a gathering without the short eats.
You will find them everywhere in Sri Lanka like in bakeries, restaurants, stalls, and street carts. They sell a dozen varieties of short eats like patties, rolls, vade, stuffed buns, and pastries.
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Useful Tips
Making Filling
- Make the filling in advance or while the dough is resting.
- I used canned tuna, but it is commonly made with canned mackerel.
- You can also substitute the fish filling for meat to make meat buns (mas paan).
- You can also make vegetable buns (elawalu paan) with vegetable fillings.
- You can also use leftover curries for the filling.
Making buns
- For the kneading part, you can use a standing mixer or knead the dough by hand.
- This dough is enough for 4 big buns or 6 small ones.
- Depending upon the size of the bun, adjust the baking time suitably.
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Sri Lankan Fish Buns (Malu Paan) Step-by-Step Recipe
Ingredients
For the filling
2 medium potatoes, boiled
300 g canned tuna or canned mackerel, drained
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
2 green chilies, chopped
4 curry leaves, chopped
1-inch piece of pandan
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cardamom
3 cloves
1-inch stick of cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the buns
260 g plain flour
1 tablespoon milk powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
125 ml warm milk
1 egg, at room temperature
30 g butter, soft
1 egg beaten with a splash of water, for egg wash
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Make the filling
First, boil the potatoes and then mash them into rough chunks with a fork.
Use canned tuna or canned mackerel. Make sure to drain before using. Break the fish into smaller pieces if you use big pieces.
Fresh ingredients; garlic, ginger, curry leaves, pandan, green chilies, onion.
Spices; chili powder, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves, pandan, and green chilies and saute for about 1 minute. Next, saute chopped onion until they have softened. Add the spices and mix well with the onion mixture.
Now, add the tuna and mix it with the onion-spice mix. Then, add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Remove from the heat. Add the lime juice and mix well.
Let the filling cool down.
make the Dough
Gather the ingredients; flour, milk powder, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, egg, and butter.
Place the flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix all ingredients well.
Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk together milk and eggs.
Slowly add the egg & milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and then start kneading the dough.
Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Add the butter one cube at a time. Knead after each addition until all the butter has been incorporated. This process takes about 5 more minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and clean tea towel. Keep in a warm place for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.
After about 1 hour the dough becomes double the size.
Punch the dough and divide it into 4 to 6 equal parts. Roll each dough into smooth balls. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Take one ball of dough and flatten it into a circle.
Shape into triangles
Place about 2 tablespoons of fish filling in the center of each dough circle.
Start by folding 2 sides together. Pinch the dough up to halfway to keep it sealed.
Fold the last side of the dough
And pinch the edges of the sides together to seal everything.
Gently turn the folded side downward, so that the pinched end makes contact with the floured work surface. Repeat this process for all the balls of dough.
Place the buns, seam-side down, on a baking tray. Make sure the buns aren’t too close together to leave room for rising. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Bake
Mix the egg yolk with a splash of water.
Brush the buns with an egg wash.
Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if used.
Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes in a preheated oven (180C). Depending upon the size of the bun adjust the time appropriately.
Serve & Enjoy!
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BEST! Sri Lankan Fish Buns ( Malu Paan)
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING
- 2 medium potatoes boiled & mashed
- 300 g canned tuna drained
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 4 curry leaves chopped
- 1- inch pandan
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1- inch stick cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
FOR THE BUNS
- 260 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 125 ml warm milk
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 30 g butter soft
- 1 egg beaten with a splash of water for egg wash
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
MAKE THE FILLING
- First, boil the potatoes and then mash them into rough chunks with a fork.
- I used canned tuna for the filling but you can also use canned mackerel. Make sure to drain it well. Break the fish into smaller pieces if you use big pieces.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves, pandan, and green chilies and saute for about 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and saute for a few minutes until they have softened. Add the spices and mix well with the onion mixture.
- Add the tuna and mix it with the onion-spice mix. Then, add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Remove from the heat. Add the lime juice and mix well. Let the filling cool down.
MAKE THE FISH BUNS
- Place the flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to mix all ingredients well.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk together milk and eggs.
- Slowly add the egg & milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a spoon until incorporated scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour and then start kneading the dough. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Add the butter one cube at a time and knead after each addition until all the butter has been incorporated about 5 more minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel. Keep in a warm place for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.
- Punch the dough and divide it into 4 to 6 equal parts. Roll each dough into smooth balls. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Take one ball of dough and flatten it into a circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of fish filling in the center of each dough circle.
- Now shape into triangles; Start by folding 2 sides together. Pinch the dough up to halfway to keep it sealed. Fold the last side of the dough and pinch the edges of the sides together to seal everything.
- Gently turn the folded side downward, so that the pinched end makes contact with the floured work surface. Repeat this process for all the balls of dough.
- Place the buns, seam-side down, on a baking tray. Make sure the buns aren’t too close together to leave room for rising. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 mins.
- Mix the egg yolk with a splash of water. Brush the buns with an egg wash.
- And sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if using.
- Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes in a preheated oven (180C). Depending upon the size of the bun adjust the time accordingly.
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