Friday, May 30, 2014

Kiam Bak Chang [Savoury Rice Dumplings]

Kiam Bak Changs [savoury pork belly rice dumpling] are the most popular of all the  other rice dumplings in my family.    Although, I have made rice dumplings [see earlier post] with different flavours and ingredients, they are not as popular as this Kiam Bak Chang probably because the fillings have more ingredients and we are more used to its flavour.   It is not that others aren't good, all have their own unique taste and flavour.  It's more to familiarity.
Ingredients - Dumpling Filling
15 pieces dried mushrooms - soaked, washed and drained - halved
20-25 dried chestnuts - soak with 1/2 tsp alkaline water with some water for 15 minutes.  Blanch with boiling water for 15 minutes then boil for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside
50 gm dried prawns - rinsed and drained
12 salted egg yolks, stir fried for a minute - halved
2 tbsp each of oil, chopped garlic and sliced shallots [I used 6 shallots]
500-600 gm fatty pork belly - cut into 20-25 big pieces
Marinade for Meat
2 tbsp each of Chinese 5 spice powder, sugar, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
  1. Marinate pork pieces with seasoning for several hours in the fridge.
  2. Heat oil and fry chopped garlic and shallots until aromatic and brown.
  3. Add in marinated pork belly and dried mushrooms.  Stir fry for 5 minutes until all the ingredients are well coated with seasoning.  Add in dried prawns and chestnuts.  Stir to mix well.  Dish up and set aside.
Note: This filling can be prepared a day ahead.
Ingredients - Rice
[makes about 20-23 dumplings]
1 kg glutinous rice, soaked for 4 hours or overnight and drained
2 tbsp each of oil, chopped garlic and sliced shallots [I used 6 shallots]
1 tbsp 5 spice powder, dark soy sauce and salt
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp pepper
  1. Heat up oil, saute chopped garlic and sliced shallots until golden and crispy.
  2. Add in the rice and seasoning.  Off heat.  Stir fry to mix well the seasoning and rice.  Turn on the fire and fry for 3-4 minutes or until the rice is well mixed with the seasoning.
  3. Dish up and leave aside.
Wrapping Dumplings
about 46 pieces of  bamboo leaves [I used 11 cm leaves] - soaked and washed, then wipe dry, set aside
hemp strings enough to tie 20-23 dumplings
  • Using  2 pieces of bamboo leaves to fold into a cone.  Scoop some rice into the cone [I used about 1  tablespoon], place 1 piece pork belly, chestnuts, salted egg yolk and mushroom.  Cover with about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp rice [depending on the size of chang you wish to make]. 

  • Press the rice firm, cover it with the extended ends of bamboo leaves and form into a pyramid [chang] shape.  Tie and secure it with the hemp string.
  • Finish doing the same for the rest of ingredients.  Trim the edges of the bamboo leaves and excess strings. 
  • Place the changs in a big pot.  Pour water  enough to cover them.  Bring to boil and cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the rice dumplings are cooked.  Add more boiling water should the to water is reduced below the changs.
  • Remove from water and hang dumplings to dry before storing them or serve warm.
    Notes:  Not necessary to bring water to boil before adding dumplings to cook.  Should you have any remaining ingredients without bamboo leaves to wrap - just place all the ingredients [rice and meat] in a can, steam for 40-45 minutes to cook.

18 comments:

  1. i love savoury dumplings but have never attempted any because of the wrapping :( how i wished i can grab some off ya!

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  2. Hi Victoria, yes it is the wrapping part that deter many from making the rice dumplings. But believe me, it's practice that makes perfect.

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  3. Hi Kimmy,
    Kiam Bak Chang is my family's favourite too. I made some last year, but am feeling lazy this year. Maybe I'll make them again in a few months time! When we were young (my sisters and I), my mom let us practice the wrapping with uncooked rice. Once we are familiar with the wrapping, we proceed to the real chang, only a few, to test whether we did it right, like water do not get into the chang making it soggy during boiling, or the string do not loosen out and the chang opens up! We feel good when the changs boiled up perfectly! Those were the good old days!

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  4. Hi, thanks for sharing with us your lovely recipe.May I ask if we can just steam the ingredients and glutinous rice if we dont wrap them in leaves ? Thanks !

    Bee Lan

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  5. Hi Bee Lan, if by steaming, the fillings must be braised until tender and glutinous rice steamed separately. Then you can mix the rice and fillings together and steamed again before serving so that flavour of the rice and meat ingredients are well blended. Without wrapping with the bamboo leaves, you won't get the Chang aroma.

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  6. hi kimmy, i'm not making any bak chang this year..i must say that i'm still very bad at wrapping the dumplings even though i ve watched youtube so manytimes ..why seeing others wrap like so easy one huh? haha..

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  7. Hi Joyce, it's good idea to practise with uncooked rice and to make only a few. I prefer to make small quantity but always end up making about 30 changs because these are for my mum. She is used to making big portions.

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  8. Hi Lena, Joyce has a good idea of practising with uncooked rice then only proceed to do the real chang. Most of the changs I made are for my mom. I only made 3 large ones for my hubby and myself. I saw the prices of Changs have gone up this year from RM 4.50 to RM 7.00 [small and big ones].

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  9. Hi Kimmy, your Bak Chang looked so yummy. I missed my mum Bak Chang. We always make together but we can't make this 2 years as my dad passed on last year.

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  10. My family members prefer this classic too apart from the nyonya flavor ones. I just finished making all my changs yesterday. Happy Duanwu to you and family!

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  11. Hi Kimmy, your chang is very similar to mine:D you must be hokkien huh! I only made 2kg this year and it's all gone before today! lol!

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  12. My family and I (except for my son) love Bak Chang but never try to make it because I find it a lot of work. I envy you and other bloggers doing it. Those pictures of yours look so yummy!

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  13. Kimmy, there are no bak changs for me this year because my aunty is not around to make them. And buying from outside is quite costly and the filling is not that good. Your kiam bak chang is making me lau nuar already hee..hee...

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  14. Hi Cecilia, thanks for dropping by. Surprisingly, your family also follows this practice of not making changs when a family member passed away. I didn't make any in 2012 when my Dad passed away. Last year my youngest brother passed away, so my mom's side didn't make any. I can make changs cos' I'm married and not living in the same house.

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  15. Thanks Lite Home Bake, greetings to you too. One day, I must make some Nyonya chang for myself.

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  16. Hi Jeannie, yes I'm a Hokkien that's why we never add beans to our savoury changs. This year I made 1 kg each of Kee Chang and Kiam Bak Chang. These have been distributed to my mom and MIL. Happy Duan Wu Jie.

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  17. Hi Amy, do try to make it sometime since you love it. Make a small portion for a start, it's worth it.

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  18. Hi Phong Hong, just too bad you aren't my neighbour otherwise you would definitely have some from me...Move over asap..hehehe! I agree with you, Changs are getting costlier these days and your never know what to expect.

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