Dumpling, zongzi

Glutinous Rice Dumpling, or Zongzi, is a traditional food for a Chinese festival -- Duan Wu Jie -- which falls in around May and June every year. It is basically steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.

This Saturday, we will be helping my mum with the wrapping. It is always the process that excite me the most. We will always compared who wrap the nicest and who wrap the most.

The enjoyment to unwrap a dumpling and to eat it is also another part of fulfilment beyond description. You will have experience it yourself to feel it.

Well, for those wrapping it the first time, I have to say it is not as easy it seem. To wrap the pyramid shape with bamboo leaves will take some practice. Believe me...

Here is the savoury recipe from me.

Ingredients (Outer wrapping):

40 pieces special Zhong leaves (dried bamboo leaves, can be obtained from some Chinese supermarkets), soaked over night, drained
A bundle of plant-based string (can be obtained from some Chinese supermarkets), soaked over night
800g glutinous rice, soaked over night and drained
Ingredients (Main Filling):

400g pork, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
2 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
A pinch of sugar
A pinch of salt
A pinch of ground white pepper
10g dried prawn

Ingredients (Other Fillings):

200-300g shelled/halved mung bean, soaked over night,
and drained
10 Chinese mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced


Preparation:

1) Marinate the pork in light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, 5-spice powder, sugar, salt, and pepper for about 3 hours.
2)Heat the groundnut oil in a wok or deep saucepan, and fry the marinated pork together with the marinate.
3)Pour it into a medium bowl and let it cool down.
4)Take 2 pieces of Bamboo leaves, line one on top of another, fold them from the middle and twist both ends up to form a cone/triangular pouch.
5)Fill the pouch with 2 tablespoons of glutinous rice, top with 1 tablespoon each of fried pork and mushroom, then about a tablespoon of mung bean.
6)Complete the routine with 2 tablespoons glutinous rice, hold the pouch tight and close the leaves.
7)Tie it with the string to make sure the dumpling is securely wrapped and no spill.
8)Repeat the steps till all ingredients are used up.
9)Half fill a large deep pot with water, bring it to a boil.
10)Put the wrapped dumplings into the water, then top up more water to cover all dumplings.
11)Add a teaspoon of salt into the water and keep boiling it for about 3 to 4 hours.
Drain the cooked dumplings and serve when the dumpling cool down. Do eat it when it is hot as the glutinous rice will be too moist and soft with the springy taste.