Wednesday 20 June 2007

Traditional Savoury Rice Dumpling - Bak Chang, Zong Zi- 肉粽


Chinese rice dumpling or known as Bak Chang (hokkien), Zhong zi (mandarin) or Zhong (cantonese) which will be eaten during 5th of fifth month in lunar calendar---DragonBoat Festival or Dumpling Festival - 端午节. According to legend, rice dumpling were thrown into river to prevent fishes eating Qu Yuan's body whose a famous chinese poet from Kingdom Chu, He failed to warn his King to against expansionism of their neighbour Qin. When dynasty Qin took over his contry, he drown himself in the Milou River after penning the Lament of Ying. Nowday, peoples are still eating it and it can be found anytime in most chinese shops in Asia.


Source: Jo's Deli And Bakery, Seadragon, Amy Beh

INGREDIENTS:
Makes 20-25

(A) For preparing glutinous rice:
1 kg glutinous rice (soaked overnight, drained)
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic; shallots
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1-1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp five spice powder
Pepper, salt to taste

(B) For preparing meat:
200g belly pork/ chicken meat (cut into 20-25 cubes)
1 tsp chicken stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Pinch of five spice powder
1 tsp light soy sauce

(C) For preparing filling:
100g black-eyed/red beans (soaked overnight, drained)
20-25 nos. dried chestnuts (soaked overnight, drained)
100g dried shrimp (soaked until soft)
13 nos. chinese mushrooms (soaked until soft, cut into halves)
2 tbsp chopped garlic & shallots
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
Sesame oil, salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp five spice powder

(D) 13 nos. salt egg yolks, cut into halves
50 pieces bamboo leaves
Hemp strings



METHOD:

1. Soak the glutinous rice, beans and dried water chestnut seperately overnight, drained. Soak dried shrimp and chinese mushroom seperately till soft, drained. relatively fast.
2. Cook hemp- string and bamboo leaves till soft, wipe off.
3. For preparing glutinous rice (A): Heat oil in a wok. Sauté chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant, add in glutinous rice, fry for a while and lastly add in seasoning. Dish out and set aside.
4. For preparing meat: Season pork/ chicken with all seasonings in (B) for at least 2 hour or overnight.
5. For preparing filing: Heat oil in a wok, sauté chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant, add in the rest of ingredients (C). Dish out and set aside.
6. For each dumpling, shape 2 bamboo leaves like a cone, put in some rice and press it. Add in meat, chestnut, shrimps, mushroom and beans, cover it again with some rice. Wrap it up to 4 points triangle and bind it tightly.
7. Place wrapped dumplings in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Served.
Notes:
1. Make sure no whole for the dumpling to escape.
2. Add more hot boiling water if water not enough to cover rice dumpling during cooking process.
3. Dumplings can be stored in freezer for at least 1 month. Steam or microwave dumplings before serving.


Notes:

1. Wrap the dumpling tighly before cook it in water.

9 comments:

SeaDragon said...

Glad you like the recipe. They look yummy!

QQ red apple said...

To seadragon,
Thx for ur details n recipes!!!!!!!

Anita said...

oh i miss this dumpling so much !
lekker zeg !

QQ red apple said...

hi,lady vanilla
do these rice dumpling today! it is not only delicious and tasty, it is also easy to do, what you need to do is prepare all ingredients before you wrap it. Ben je ook een maleishe? een chinese-malaysian? groetjes!!!!!!!!

Anita said...

I am a Singaporean but grow up in MY(Malacca)and now resident in NL.

May i ask you where did you normally shop for your Baking ingredients in NL ?
i have difficulty finding cake flour here in NL :(

QQ red apple said...

hi, lady vanilla
actually it is very hard to buy baking needs in netherlands, even here in rotterdam. mag ik je iet vragen? hoe lang ben je al in nederlands? kunnen wij vriendinen worden? ben je ook in rotterdam? het spijt me voor zoveel vragen! cake flour is low protien flour, yes, it is not available in nederland, but u can u cakemeel (self-raising cake flour) in stead of cake flour plus baking powder in the recipes. you can also use plain flour and reduce 2 tbsp flour (20%) and replace with 2 tbsp cornflour and now you get homemade cakeflour. I hope can help you a bit.

Anita said...

hoi,
tuurlijk we kunnen elkaar beter te leren kennen !!!! Trouwens, vriendinen heb je nooit genoeg toch ?
Ik woon al 14 jaar in Nederlands,ik ben niet getrouwd,ik woon samen and ik heb geen kinderen.
Koken en bakken zijn mijn hobby,in de verleden bakte ik each veel,maar nu wordt het minder.

I always bought my baking ingredients from this English shop in Den Haag http://www.577777.net/tg/asp/prodtype.asp?shopCode=hague&prodtype=48
they also sell cake flour and bread flour,the cake flour has baking powder added(low protien flour + baking powder),it is called "McDougall Supreme Sponge Flour",i used this cake flour to made my chiffon cakes or any other cakes if cake flour is called for, that is a must visit shop if you are in Den Haag !

Anita said...

ok that link doesnt work...here is the website

http://www.thomasgreens.com/holland/

QQ red apple said...

hi, lady vanilla
Bedankt voor je nuttige infomatie! Ik ben in Nederlands niet zo lang geleden. Ik ben getrouwd en heb al 3 kinderen. Ben je ook een chinees? Hier is mijn e-mail address, robynleong@yahoo.com . Ik hoop dat we kunnen vriendinnen worden want ik heb geen aziatische vriendinnen waar ben ik verlangd voor. Ik ben nogal jong en heb geen keuken kennis in het begin maar toen ik kinderen heb, besef ik dat moet ik goed koken en baken. Ik ben heel blij om je te leren kennen. Het spijt me voor mijn zwakke nederlands. Groetjes!!!!!! Hope can hear from you soon.