Nyonya Zhang is different from the others dumpling, it has an unique flavour from the combinations of candied winter melon and coriander powder that used to make the filling. It is a nice combination of sweet and savoury rice dumpling with a distinct patch of blue from the blue pea flower.
This recipes will show 2 methods of cooking rice dumpling (ZongZi). Steaming with Thermomix and boiling in pressure cooker.
THINGS TO PREPARE AHEAD
- Soak the bamboo leaves in water 1 day ahead
- Soak the glutinous rice at least 4 hours
- Cook the filling 1 day ahead and keep in refrigerator (optional, you may also prepare the filling on the day of wrapping)
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEAMING AND COOK IN BOILING WATER (PRESSURE COOKER)
STEAMING METHOD
For the steaming method, glutinous rice need to be cooked to half done separately prior steaming, and it required more work on that and the steaming time is longer. However, it does has an advantage, you don’t need to be skilled on wrapping. It will not fall off even if you don’t wrap it quite well.
PRESSURE COOKER METHOD
For the pressure cooker method, glutinous rice doesn’t need to be cooked prior. And, it reduced a huge amount of cooking time. But, it does require a good wrapping skill otherwise the rice will fall out and swim in the water.
DIFFERENCES OF TEXTURE
Using steaming method, the dumpling is sticky and chewy but less moist compared to the boiling method. While, the boiling method using pressure cooker, the dumpling submerge in the water and let it cook all the way through, so it has much more gooey texture and much more moist.
STORAGE
Store them in the fridge after cooled down completely. You can keep them in the fridge for 5 days. If you plan to store it longer, freeze them, it can be store up to 3 months in the freezer.
REHEATING
Reheated without defrosting by steaming for (15 minutes | Varoma | Speed 2) using 500g water for steaming.
Nyonya Glutinuos Rice Dumplings (Nyonya Zhang)
A sweet and savoury rice dumpling with a distinct patch of blue from the blue pea flower. Nyonya Zhang is different from the others dumpling, it has an unique flavour from the combinations of candied winter melon and coriander powder used to make the filling.
Prepare filling and bamboo leaves a day ahead. When choosing bamboo leaves, try to get larger leaves, which make for easier wrapping. Estimate two leaves per dumpling with some extras in case of tears. Keep the leaves soaking in water until needed.
Cut straw twine/raffia string into 8 pieces, each about 60-cm long. Bundle them together and knot one end into a loop so that the strings can be hung up. If using straw twine, soak in water for 10 minutes to make it more pliable.
Place pork belly in mixing bowl, chop for 10 sec | speed 6. Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
Place shallots and garlic cloves and mushroom in mixing bowl, chop 6 sec | speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Add cooking oil, sauté 6 min | 120°C | speed 1.
Add fermented bean paste, reserved pork belly, coriander powder and white pepper powder, sauté 10 min | 120°C | ⤺ speed 1 .
Add candied winter melon, ground toasted peanut, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce , sauté 2 min | 120°C | Speed 1. Divide sauté filling into 8 equal portions and set aside. Clean mixing bowl.
Place shallots in mixing bowl, chop 5 sec | speed 5 . Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Add cooking oil, sauté 5 min | 120°C | speed 1. Without measuring cup.
Add soaked glutinous rice, without measuring cup, cook 6 min | Varoma | ⤺ speed 1. Meanwhile, add mushroom soaking water and salt through hole of mixing bowl lid.
When it’s done the water should have soaked up into the rice completely. Transfer 3/4 of glutinous rice to a bowl and set aside.
Add blue pea flower water into remaining glutinous rice in Thermomix mixing bowl, cook 2 min | Varoma | ⤺ speed 1. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Divide both white glutinous rice and blue glutinous rice into 8 equal portions.
Assemble the rice, filling and leaves near you. Take two leaves and layer them such that you get a larger surface area to work with. Fold the leaves in half, then fold one-third from the edge near you. Open out the leaves into a cone.
Use a spoon to scoop the rice out, put a portion of rice into the cone. Press the rice upwards as a thin layer round the cone and a little higher than the dumpling will be for covering up the filling. Keep the centre hollow for the filling.
Spoon filling into the hollow, pressing it to pack tightly. Turn the excess rice near the top to cover the filling. Add more rice, if needed. Fold the ends of the leaves to cover the opening and shape the ends to form a neat four cornered pyramid shaped dumpling. Tie with twine in such a way that the ends are held tightly round the dumpling.
Place wrapped Nyonya Chang into Varoma dish. Pour 1200 g water into Thermomix mixing bowl and put Varoma unit into position to steam 60 min | Varoma | Speed 2.
Note: If using pressure cooker, glutinous rice doesn't need to be cooked. Simply, mix the glutinous rice with oil and salt.
Fill up with water to make sure it enough to cover the dumpling (about 8 cups) and bring it to boil. Place the dumpling in the inner pot of instant pot.
Cover the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 30 minutes. Wait 5 minutes and then release pressure manually.
Carefully open the lid and use a tong to gently remove the dumpling from the pot to a cooling rack. Let the water drips down. The dumpling will still be soft to touch. Serve warm.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare filling and bamboo leaves a day ahead. When choosing bamboo leaves, try to get larger leaves, which make for easier wrapping. Estimate two leaves per dumpling with some extras in case of tears. Keep the leaves soaking in water until needed.
Cut straw twine/raffia string into 8 pieces, each about 60-cm long. Bundle them together and knot one end into a loop so that the strings can be hung up. If using straw twine, soak in water for 10 minutes to make it more pliable.
Place pork belly in mixing bowl, chop for 10 sec | speed 6. Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
Place shallots and garlic cloves and mushroom in mixing bowl, chop 6 sec | speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Add cooking oil, sauté 6 min | 120°C | speed 1.
Add fermented bean paste, reserved pork belly, coriander powder and white pepper powder, sauté 10 min | 120°C | ⤺ speed 1 .
Add candied winter melon, ground toasted peanut, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce , sauté 2 min | 120°C | Speed 1. Divide sauté filling into 8 equal portions and set aside. Clean mixing bowl.
Place shallots in mixing bowl, chop 5 sec | speed 5 . Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.
Add cooking oil, sauté 5 min | 120°C | speed 1. Without measuring cup.
Add soaked glutinous rice, without measuring cup, cook 6 min | Varoma | ⤺ speed 1. Meanwhile, add mushroom soaking water and salt through hole of mixing bowl lid.
When it’s done the water should have soaked up into the rice completely. Transfer 3/4 of glutinous rice to a bowl and set aside.
Add blue pea flower water into remaining glutinous rice in Thermomix mixing bowl, cook 2 min | Varoma | ⤺ speed 1. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Divide both white glutinous rice and blue glutinous rice into 8 equal portions.
Assemble the rice, filling and leaves near you. Take two leaves and layer them such that you get a larger surface area to work with. Fold the leaves in half, then fold one-third from the edge near you. Open out the leaves into a cone.
Use a spoon to scoop the rice out, put a portion of rice into the cone. Press the rice upwards as a thin layer round the cone and a little higher than the dumpling will be for covering up the filling. Keep the centre hollow for the filling.
Spoon filling into the hollow, pressing it to pack tightly. Turn the excess rice near the top to cover the filling. Add more rice, if needed. Fold the ends of the leaves to cover the opening and shape the ends to form a neat four cornered pyramid shaped dumpling. Tie with twine in such a way that the ends are held tightly round the dumpling.
Place wrapped Nyonya Chang into Varoma dish. Pour 1200 g water into Thermomix mixing bowl and put Varoma unit into position to steam 60 min | Varoma | Speed 2.
Note: If using pressure cooker, glutinous rice doesn't need to be cooked. Simply, mix the glutinous rice with oil and salt.
Fill up with water to make sure it enough to cover the dumpling (about 8 cups) and bring it to boil. Place the dumpling in the inner pot of instant pot.
Cover the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 30 minutes. Wait 5 minutes and then release pressure manually.
Carefully open the lid and use a tong to gently remove the dumpling from the pot to a cooling rack. Let the water drips down. The dumpling will still be soft to touch. Serve warm.
