Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners or grease it.
Prepare strawberries: Wash, pat dry and chop them into small pieces.
Make buttermilk: Mix lukewarm milk and vinegar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
After 5-10 minutes, whisk together sugar, oil, and vanilla essence into the prepared buttermilk.
Sift and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
Fold in strawberries & white chocolate chips: Gently fold the chopped strawberries into the batter along with the white chocolate chips.
Add the strawberry compote (if using): Gently swirl 1 tbsp of strawberry compote into the batter for extra flavour. Do not overmix—just fold lightly.
Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full. Add a few extra strawberry pieces on top for garnish.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Once the muffins are baked and cooled, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top. This is optional but adds a lovely sweetness and a bakery-style look.