How to Make Bak Zhang
Zongzi or Bak zhang is a sweet treat in Duanwu festival. How to cook this traditional Chinese food at home? Watch our video to teach you the basics of rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves. This video recipe will show you the main the choicest ingredients to be used and even the best wrapping techniques. Don’t forget to prepare you glutinous rice, a fresh kilogram of pork belly, and 3 packets of bamboo leaves.
Video and Recipe Courtesy of Food for Life
Ingredients
500 grams Dried Shiitake Mushrooms , soaked overnight
1 kilograms Pork Belly , (cut into 3cmx 3cm cubes), marinated overnight
2.5 kilograms Glutinous Rice , soaked overnight
3 packets Bamboo Leaves , soaked overnight
200 grams Dried Chestnut , soaked overnight
200 grams Dried Hae Bee , soaked 2 hours with warm water
5 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons White Pepper
1 cup Salt
3 teaspoons Sesame Oil
700 millilitres Cooking Oil , (for frying shallot and filling)
200 grams Five Spice Powder
500 grams Shallot , chopped
Bamboo Leaves , soaked and cleaned
1 ball Raffia Strings
10 pieces Pandan Leaves
Methods
-Pour boiling hot water over dried bamboo leaves, soak the leaves overnight. Next day, use a damp cloth to wipe it down and rinse once through.
-This should yield at least 30-35 pieces of good leaves. Dried leaves are brittle, only 60-70% of the leaves can be used after soaking.
-Marinate pork belly with 2 tablespoons of 5 spice powder, 3 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of white pepper, 3 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of lard oil, marinate overnight.
-Deep fry the chopped shallot, drain, set aside shallot oil.
-In a dry wok, stir fry pork lard until lard oil appears, discard lard.
-Dice up soaked mushroom and hae bee.
-Mushroom/hae bee filling- put in 3 tablespoons shallot oil and fry till fragrant, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce. Stir in fried shallot.
-Fry the soaked glutinous rice with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1-2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce with 5 tablespoons of shallot oil and 2 tablespoons of lard oil. Set aside to cool for wrapping.
-Wrapping Directions: Fold two pieces of bamboo leaves into a cone shape. The smoother side should be in contact with the rice to prevent the rice from sticking to the leaves when it is cooked.
-Fill one-third of the cone with glutinous rice.
-Add in the rest of the ingredients to your liking.
-Top off with more glutinous rice.
-Tighten both sides of the cone and cover the exposed top firmly.
-Fold the end of the leaves to complete the pyramid.
-Tie the Bak Zhang from the middle of the string. Make two rounds around the Bak Zhang tightly.
-Tie a tight knot. Let it hang.
-Complete the rest to make a bunch.
-After wrapping, boil a big pot of water with ½ cup of salt. Tie the pandan leaves and drop it in the water.
-Slowly immerse the dumplings into the water and boil on high fire for 45 minutes.
-Turn the dumplings around and give it a good stir and continue boiling on high fire for another 45 minutes.
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