Thursday, June 25, 2020

ZONGZI STICKY RICE DUMPLING RECIPE FOR DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL! This is my mum's Malay Chinese style zongzi recipe, using blue pea flowers to colour the rice. We also made a vegan version. There's a full demonstration of the whole process and bamboo leaf wrapping in this video: https://youtu.be/p9_FxT

MUM’S ZONGZI (RICE DUMPLING) RECIPES (full video demonstration via https://youtu.be/p9_FxTazcFk)

BAMBOO LEAF PREPARATION:

50 dried bamboo leaves (makes 24 dumplings)

The day before wrapping, boil the stack of bamboo leaves in a deep pot (or fold into a wok) for 5 mins. Ensure they are completely submerged in the water. Leave in water to soak overnight at room temperature.

The next day just before wrapping, drain and dry the stack of leaves. Make sure they are stacked so the glossy side is facing up and the side with the ridge is facing down.

STRING PREPARATION:

18m of brown string, or roasting twine (makes 24 dumplings)

Cut 12 x 1.5cm-long pieces. Holding 6 strings in a bunch, fold once and tie a looped knot at the folded end. You should end up with a loop at one end (to hook onto a kitchen hook or oven knob), and 12 loose strings at the other end (for tying dumplings).

NYONYA-STYLE BLUE RICE DUMPLINGS:

(makes 24 dumplings)

Ingredients:

650g glutinous rice

100g coconut powder

Salt (see amounts below)

Vegetable oil (see amounts below)

20 dried blue butterfly pea flowers or 2 drops of blue food colouring

1 kg hand diced chicken thigh or chicken mince

1-2 tbsp coriander powder

2 tbsp light soy

1 tbsp dark sweet soy (or Karamel Masakan)

1 tsp white pepper

3 tbsp finely diced shallots or onion

1 tbsp finely diced garlic

2 tbsp grated galangal

150g finely chopped wintermelon

2-3 pandan leaves (fresh or frozen) cut into 24 pieces (3cmx3cm)

50 bamboo leaves (preparation instructions above)

18m of string (preparation instructions above)

Day Before:

  1. Prep leaves and string (see instructions above)
  2. Soak dried blue flowers in 1/3 cup of boiling water and leave overnight.
  3. Marinate the diced chicken in 3 tsp salt, and the white pepper, coriander powder, light and dark soy, and leave overnight in the fridge.

Day of Wrapping:

  1. Soak the glutinous rice for 1-2 hours then leave to drain dry in sieve for 10 mins
  2. Place 1/3 of the rice in a small bowl and 2/3 of the rice in a larger bowl.
  3. Pour the blue liquid from the blue flowers (or 2 drops of blue food colouring) into the bowl with 1/3 of the rice, add 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil, mix and set aside.
  4. For the larger bowl with 2/3 of the rice, add 1 tbsp of salt, 100g coconut powder and 2 tbsp of oil. Mix and set aside.
  5. Heat 3 tbsp oil and stir fry the garlic and shallots until brown. Add galangal and the pre-marinated chicken meat and continue to stir with high heat for 3-5 mins. Finally add the diced rock melon, stir through, and remove from heat.

Wrapping (see full instructions in video https://youtu.be/p9_FxTazcFk): Make a cone with two leaves. Scoop in blue rice, cooked chicken meat, white rice, and lastly a piece of pandan leaf. Close into a pyramid and tie with string.

Boiling & Storage instructions below.

VEGAN CHESTNUT, BEAN & COCONUT RICE DUMPLINGS

(makes 24 dumplings)

Ingredients:

400g glutinous rice

500g dried black eyed peas

1 tbsp salt

100g dried coconut powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

24 chestnuts (fresh, or dried and soaked overnight)

2-3 pandan leaves (fresh or frozen) cut into 24 pieces (3cmx3cm)

50 bamboo leaves (preparation instructions above)

18m of string (preparation instructions above)

Day Before:

  1. Prep leaves and string (see instructions above)

Day of Wrapping:

  1. Soak the beans and glutinous rice together in water for 1-2 hours. Drain dry over a sieve for 10 mins.
  2. Place the rice and beans into a large bowl and mix in the salt, coconut powder and lastly vegetable oil. Set aside.

Wrapping (see full instructions in video https://youtu.be/p9_FxTazcFk): Make a cone with two leaves. Scoop in rice/bean mixture, one chestnut, more rice/bean mixture, and lastly one piece of pandan leaf. Close into a pyramid and tie with string.

BOILING & STORAGE:

Use a large deep pot. Fill half way with water and bring to boil. Submerge the wrapped dumplings in the boiling water. Add more boiling water to ensure dumplings are covered. Boil for roughly 2.5 hours. Every hour lift out the dumplings, shake, and place back into the water to ensure even cooking. Remove from boiling water and leave to cool. Cut the string and peel off the bamboo leaf and pandan leaf before eating.

The dumplings are best eaten ASAP. Otherwise you can cool the dumplings, leave them in the bamboo, and place in the fridge for a few days. Boil for 5 mins to re heat. For longer storage, dumplings can be frozen and boiled for 12 mins to reheat.

BAMBOO LEAF PREPARATION:

50 dried bamboo leaves (makes 24 dumplings)

The day before wrapping, boil the stack of bamboo leaves in a deep pot (or fold into a wok) for 5 mins. Ensure they are completely submerged in the water. Leave in water to soak overnight at room temperature.

The next day just before wrapping, drain and dry the stack of leaves. Make sure they are stacked so the glossy side is facing up and the side with the ridge is facing down.

STRING PREPARATION:

18m of brown string, or roasting twine (makes 24 dumplings)

Cut 12 x 1.5cm-long pieces. Holding 6 strings in a bunch, fold once and tie a looped knot at the folded end. You should end up with a loop at one end (to hook onto a kitchen hook or oven knob), and 12 loose strings at the other end (for tying dumplings).

NYONYA-STYLE BLUE RICE DUMPLINGS:

(makes 24 dumplings)

Ingredients:

650g glutinous rice

100g coconut powder

Salt (see amounts below)

Vegetable oil (see amounts below)

20 dried blue butterfly pea flowers or 2 drops of blue food colouring

1 kg hand diced chicken thigh or chicken mince

1-2 tbsp coriander powder

2 tbsp light soy

1 tbsp dark sweet soy (or Karamel Masakan)

1 tsp white pepper

3 tbsp finely diced shallots or onion

1 tbsp finely diced garlic

2 tbsp grated galangal

150g finely chopped wintermelon

2-3 pandan leaves (fresh or frozen) cut into 24 pieces (3cmx3cm)

50 bamboo leaves (preparation instructions above)

18m of string (preparation instructions above)

Day Before:

  1. Prep leaves and string (see instructions above)
  2. Soak dried blue flowers in 1/3 cup of boiling water and leave overnight.
  3. Marinate the diced chicken in 3 tsp salt, and the white pepper, coriander powder, light and dark soy, and leave overnight in the fridge.

Day of Wrapping:

  1. Soak the glutinous rice for 1-2 hours then leave to drain dry in sieve for 10 mins
  2. Place 1/3 of the rice in a small bowl and 2/3 of the rice in a larger bowl.
  3. Pour the blue liquid from the blue flowers (or 2 drops of blue food colouring) into the bowl with 1/3 of the rice, add 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil, mix and set aside.
  4. For the larger bowl with 2/3 of the rice, add 1 tbsp of salt, 100g coconut powder and 2 tbsp of oil. Mix and set aside.
  5. Heat 3 tbsp oil and stir fry the garlic and shallots until brown. Add galangal and the pre-marinated chicken meat and continue to stir with high heat for 3-5 mins. Finally add the diced rock melon, stir through, and remove from heat.

Wrapping (see full instructions in video https://youtu.be/p9_FxTazcFk): Make a cone with two leaves. Scoop in blue rice, cooked chicken meat, white rice, and lastly a piece of pandan leaf. Close into a pyramid and tie with string.

Boiling & Storage instructions below.

VEGAN CHESTNUT, BEAN & COCONUT RICE DUMPLINGS

(makes 24 dumplings)

Ingredients:

400g glutinous rice

500g dried black eyed peas

1 tbsp salt

100g dried coconut powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

24 chestnuts (fresh, or dried and soaked overnight)

2-3 pandan leaves (fresh or frozen) cut into 24 pieces (3cmx3cm)

50 bamboo leaves (preparation instructions above)

18m of string (preparation instructions above)

Day Before:

  1. Prep leaves and string (see instructions above)

Day of Wrapping:

  1. Soak the beans and glutinous rice together in water for 1-2 hours. Drain dry over a sieve for 10 mins.
  2. Place the rice and beans into a large bowl and mix in the salt, coconut powder and lastly vegetable oil. Set aside.

Wrapping (see full instructions in video https://youtu.be/p9_FxTazcFk): Make a cone with two leaves. Scoop in rice/bean mixture, one chestnut, more rice/bean mixture, and lastly one piece of pandan leaf. Close into a pyramid and tie with string.

BOILING & STORAGE:

Use a large deep pot. Fill half way with water and bring to boil. Submerge the wrapped dumplings in the boiling water. Add more boiling water to ensure dumplings are covered. Boil for roughly 2.5 hours. Every hour lift out the dumplings, shake, and place back into the water to ensure even cooking. Remove from boiling water and leave to cool. Cut the string and peel off the bamboo leaf and pandan leaf before eating.

The dumplings are best eaten ASAP. Otherwise you can cool the dumplings, leave them in the bamboo, and place in the fridge for a few days. Boil for 5 mins to re heat. For longer storage, dumplings can be frozen and boiled for 12 mins to reheat.



bon appetit

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