Cantonese-Style Sticky Rice Dumplings

Name: Cantonese-Style Sticky Rice Dumplings
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 6 h
Yield: 40 serving
Ingredients: 40 pieces lean pork; 2 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; ½ cube red bean curd; 2 teaspoon granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine; 10 large Chinese mushrooms; 2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 400 g peanuts; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder; 20 pieces dried chestnuts; 2 teaspoon granulated sugar; enough water to cook; 44 large bamboo leaves; 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 kg (6 cups) long grain glutinous rice; 2 tablespoon ground coriander; 2 tablespoon ground fennel; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; ⅔ cup dried shrimps; 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; 3 shallots; 3 bulbs garlic

User Reviews

5.0

18 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
4 hrs
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs
Servings
40
Calories
192 kcal
Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine
Asian, Chinese

Cantonese-Style Sticky Rice Dumplings

Miles Hoffman

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These Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings, known as zhongzi feature sticky glutinous rice filled with a sweet or savoury filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled until soft.

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Ingredients

Servings

Pork:

40 pieces lean pork cut into 1” x ½” x ½”
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ cube red bean curd
2 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

Mushrooms:

10 large Chinese mushrooms soaked overnight
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Peanuts:

400 g peanuts roasted and ground (or raw peanuts, cooked in a little water with the seasonings below for 15 minutes)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

Chestnuts:

20 pieces dried chestnuts soaked
2 teaspoon granulated sugar
enough water to cook

Bamboo leaves:

44 large bamboo leaves with extra for any ripped ones

Rice:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 kg (6 cups) long grain glutinous rice
2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon ground fennel
½ teaspoon sea salt

Shrimps:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
⅔ cup dried shrimps washed and soaked overnight

Aromatics:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 shallots minced
3 bulbs garlic minced

Other:

200 g mung beans washed and soaked overnight
10 pieces salted duck egg yolks cut into ½ (if eggs are fresh, cut with a piece of dental floss)
20 pieces cotton string/twine cut into 44" lengths

For boiling the sticky rice dumplings:

water
handful coarse sea salt
10 star anise optional

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Instructions

For key visual steps on how to fold and wrap the sticky rice dumplings, refer to the body of the post.

Best to prepare ingredients in advance over a few days.

Prepare the pork:

Marinate the pork pieces in 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy, ½ cube red bean curd, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine.
Cover with a lid and place into the fridge overnight.

Marinate mushrooms:

Cut Chinese mushrooms into thick slices and season with 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

Season peanuts:

Grind the roasted peanuts add in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder.

Cook chestnuts:

Cook the chestnut with 2 teaspoon of sugar and just enough water to cover.

Prepare the bamboo leaves:

Wash bamboo leaves and trim of the stem.
Fill a very large pot with water and ½ teaspoon lye water.
Boil the leaves for 20 minutes.
Drain and wash each leaf again under clean running water.

Prepare glutinous rice:

Soak the glutinous rice for 1 hour. (After soaking, do not thoroughly drain).

Cook the ingredients:

Stir fry the dried shrimps:

In a wok over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil and add in the dried shrimps.
Stir fry until very fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.

Fry the aromatics:

Add in another 2 tablespoon of oil and add in minced shallot. Fry until almost golden brown.
Add in garlic and continue to fry until golden in colour.
Remove about ⅔rd of the garlic and shallot to a separate bowl.

Braise the pork:

With the remaining ⅓rd garlic and shallot, add in the marinated pork and braise with just enough water to cover.
Cook until the sauce is evaporated. Transfer to a separate bowl and cool.

Cook the mushrooms:

Using the same wok, add in the Chinese mushrooms and cook for a few minutes to soak up any remaining sauce.

Par-cook the glutinous rice:

Add in 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, add in 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 2 tablespoon ground fennel and add in the glutinous rice (that isn't too well-drained).
Next, add in the reserved fried shallot and garlic and add ½ teaspoon of salt.
Stir fry the rice for 10-15 minutes until the rice is partially cooked, almost crumbing (not dry, but not sticky) together.
Add in the fried shrimps and combine together with the rice.
Let the rice cool.

Assemble:

Line the floor with clean newspaper. Place all dishes on the floor.
Hook the cotton strings on a chair.
Take 2 bamboo leaves with the tail ends, stacked over top, overlapping each other.
Curve the leaves into a cone shape with about ⅓rd length on the right and the left side being slightly longer.
Fill the cone with 1 very large spoonful of rice, spreading the rice upward.
Place all the filling ingredients in and cover with another large spoonful of rice.
Bend the leaves to cover the rice and wrap it with a cotton string.
Squeeze the finish dumpling a little so that all the ingredients are compacted, being careful not to burst the leaves.

Boil the sticky rice dumplings:

Fill a large pot with ⅔rds water in it for boiling.
Place dumplings in the boiling water, add a handful of coarse salt and 10 pieces of star anise (optional).
When the water is at a rolling boil, reduce to lower heat and cook dumplings for 2 hours, or until cooked through. Add extra boiling water when water is depleted.
Remove dumplings out of the water and let cool completely on a large plate before serving.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 192kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 48mg (16%) Sodium 369mg (15%) Potassium 192mg (5%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 8IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 46mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 40Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 192 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	192kcal	10%
Carbohydrates	27g	9%
Protein	9g	18%
Fat	6g	9%
Saturated Fat	1g	5%
Polyunsaturated Fat	2g	12%
Monounsaturated Fat	2g	10%
Trans Fat	1g	50%
Cholesterol	48mg	16%
Sodium	369mg	15%
Potassium	192mg	4%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	1g	2%
Vitamin A	8IU	0%
Vitamin C	1mg	1%
Calcium	46mg	5%
Iron	2mg	11%