It's time for rice dumpling making. This year due to time constraint, I made only this alkaline rice dumplings with red bean paste filling. Not as time consuming as I can prepare the filling earlier.
The dumplings turned out alright with chewy [QQ] texture and the red bean paste is not too sweet.
Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for this month's Cookbook Countdown Event#6 - Home Cooking June 2001 issue [with modifications]
200 gm brown sugar
3 tsp corn oil
700 ml water
Ingredients For Red Bean Paste Filling
300 gm red beans - washed and soaked overnight200 gm brown sugar
3 tsp corn oil
700 ml water
- To Make the Red Bean Paste - put soaked red beans and water in a large potand bring to boil, Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are soft.
- Put cooked beans and brown sugar in a processor and blend to a smooth paste.
- Heat up a non stick wok with oil, stir in bean paste and cook for 3-4 minutes until sugar is dissolves and paste is dry.
- Cool and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Ingredients For Rice Dumplings
600 gm glutinous rice - washed and soaked for at least 4 -5 hours or overnight.
1 tbsp alkaline water
1/4 tsp borax or bicarbonate of soda
60 pieces bamboo leaves - rinsed and boiled in water for 5 minutes to soften. Wipe dry
some strings to tie dumplings
- Drain soaked rice in colander. Transfer to a big bowl and mix rice with alkaline water. Leave to rest for 15 minutes [not longer than 2 hours].
- Pile 2 bamboo leaves togehter and fold it into a cone, spoon 1 tablespoon rice following by a small ball of red bean paste and finishing off with rice again [1 tbsp].
- Wrap the dumpling into a cone shape and secure with string. Finish wrapping the rice dumplings.
- Place the dumplings in a large pot of water, add in bicarbonate of soda and bring to a boil.
- Continue to boil dumpling over medium heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours [making sure that the dumplings are fully submerged in water].
- When cooked, leave the dumplings to cool completely for at least 1-2 hours to make the rice stickier and more fragrant.
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8 comments:
Hi Kimmy,
I have not made any bak chang for years! Each year I tell myself I must make some, and each year I am so lazy! The cost of the leaves and such have increased so much this year!
Your chang looks yummy with the red bean filling.
Good day. May I know what's the purpose of soda usage. Thanks.
PL.
Hi Joyce, Agree that cost of ingredients for making rice dumplings is on the rise each year. But as a daughter and DIL, I have to make some for my mom and MIL. My mom is happy to receive them but my MIL will still buy from the vendors. Just wonder why?
Hi PL, the soda is supposed to be a substitute for 'borax' which is used to prevent the rice from sticking to the leaves. Some people will add oil to the rice but I haven't tried it.
Kimmy, that's nice! Usually this type of chung is plain. When I was small, I ate it with sugar. Then later I discovered people also eat with kaya.
Hi Kimmy, your zhang are so well done! I wish I can do. But I really have to courage to try it out.
Hi Phong Hong, the plain one is good. Left overs can be used to boil red bean soup or even bubur pulut hitam. Seems it helps to soften the bean faster.
Thanks Amy, sometimes it is quite frustrating when you can't get chang leaves in ideal size. Good chang leaves make wrapping much easier. It is necessary to sort out the leaves according to various sizes before wrapping.
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