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.
