SAVOURY RICE DUMPLING [BAK CHANG] - DUAN WU JIE / 端午节 2015 ~ TastelLoutis cooking

This year's Duan Wu Jie 2015/ 端午节 2015 [Chinese Rice Dumplings' Festival], I again made savoury rice dumpling [Hokkien Kiam Bak Chang] for the family because it is always the favourite among all and well accepted by many Chinese people. My nephews' favourite.
Visit this site for more information about Bak Chang and Duan Wu Jie.

It is tasty, aromatic and the numerous fillings are delicious and yummy. Bak Chang is best eaten warm [not steaming hot] so that you can enjoy the chewy glutinous rice and fragrant fillings. Some people prefer to eat these rice dumplings with or without sweet chilli sauce. Awesome home-made Kiam Bak Chang.

If you break up the procedures, it is not difficult at all to make Kiam Bak Chang at home.

1st Part - getting the ingredients

2nd Part - soak the leaves, chestnuts and mushrooms and washing/wiping the leaves

3rd Part - marinate the meat and prepare the shallots/garlic then frying and set aside in the refrigerator until required

4th Part - fry the rice

5th Part - wrapping and cooking the rice dumplings

Recipe adapted from Amy Beh [Kuali.com] - modified
Ingredients

[makes 28-30 dumplings]

1 kg glutinous rice - washed, soaked overnight and drained
56-60 pieces of bamboo leaves - soaked overnight, washed and wiped
some hemp strings - soaked and drained
7-8 salted egg yolks - steamed for 10 minutes, cooled and quartered
50 gm dried prawns - rinsed and drained
400 - 500 gm pork belly - cut into chunky pieces - about 30 pieces
30 dried chestnuts - soaked with a drop of alkaline water for several hours, rinsed and boil for about 30 minutes, drained
14 pieces dried mushrooms - soaked and halved
4 tbsp chopped garlic
4 tbsp chopped shallots
6-8 tbsp oil

Seasoning for Rice
1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder [ngoh heong hoon]
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chicken stock granules
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce
1-2 tbsp dark soy sauce

Seasoning for Fillings
1/2 tbsp Chinese five spice powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Marinate pork with seasonings for fillings for several hours.
Mix drained rice with seasoning for rice. Set aside.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil, fry half shallots and garlic until golden brown. Add marinated pork, fry for a few minutes. Add in mushrooms and chestnuts. Stir fry to mix well for a few more minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil, fry remaining shallots and garlic until golden brown. Add in the dried prawns, stir fry to mix well. Add in the seasoned rice. Stir fry well to combine the ingredients. Remove and set aside.

To wrap dumplings, take 2 pieces of bamboo leaves and fold into a cone.
Add 1 heaped tablespoon of rice, add a slice of pork, a piece of mushroom, a chestnut, a piece of salted egg yolk, top up with 1-2 tablespoon of rice.
Wrap into a pyramid shape dumpling and secure tightly with a hemp string. Do the same until all the ingredients are finished.
Put the bundles of rice dumpling in a big pot. Top up with water enough to cover the changs. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water.
Bring to boil over high heat, then lower to medium and continue to cook for 2 hours or until rice dumplings are cooked. Replenish with more hot water to the pot when required.
Remove and hang to let it dry. Best to serve rice dumplings warm.