Zongzi (Pork Glutinous Rice Dumpling)
Adapted from a recipe by Taste of Shanghai
Ingredients: (makes 15 servings)
- Glutinous Rice – 900g
- Pork Belly – 500g, cut into smallish slices
- 4 Dried shiitake mushrooms
- 70 Bamboo leaves (extra in case some split) *
- String to wrap
Ingredients for marinating the glutinous rice:
- 2 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- 2 teasoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine
- 1 tablespoon finely grated Ginger
Ingredients for marinating the Pork Belly:
- 2 teaspoons dark Soy Sauce
- 3 teaspoons Light Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sugar – 0.5 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine
- 2 teaspoons finely grated Ginger
*Bamboo leaves are found at large Asian grocery stores. They come in a large packet with about 150-200 in there (I didn't count them but I feel like I have a lifetime supply).
*Glutinous rice is white rice sometimes called "sweet rice". I bought a brand called Hakubai only because it was the exact weight that I needed.
To prepare the ingredients:
Step 1 - Soak the glutinous rice for 2 hours, wash and rinse the glutinous rice several times. Drain completely and stir in the rice marinade.
Step 2 - Count the leaves and discard any that have long slits in them. Soak the leaves for 45 minutes. I put them in the sink and filled it up with very hot water from the tap. Drain and then cook them in lots in boiling water for 3 minutes to tenderise, then drain and rinse in cold water. Trim off the woody stems from the tops of the leaves.
Step 3 - Pour boiling water over the shiitake mushrooms to redhydrate them and steep for 10 minutes. Then remove the stalk and then quarter the mushroom. Cut the pork belly into pieces, marinate along with the mushrooms in the marinade for 45 minutes.
Step 4 - You will need four leaves per dumpling and some string to tie it up. Take 2 of the largest leaves and place them on top of each other. Then take two more leaves and create a little cone by folding the right hand side over. Place 2 tablespoons of rice in there and then two pieces of pork and a quarter of mushroom. Add another tablespoon of rice and then shape into a long shape. Fold over the bottom two leaves and wrap up. This is much easier shown on the video.
Step 5- Tie with string to secure. Don't worry, your first few will be a bit wonky but they will get better with practice. I made these deliberately smaller so that they would be easier to fold over. When you get more expert at it, you can make them larger. Repeat until all of the rice and pork is used.
Step 6 - Place into a pressure cooker (mine juuust fit under the maximum indicator but do check). Cover with boiling water and cook on medium pressure for 1 hour. This can also be done on the stovetop in which case you will boil them for 4 hours (making sure to replenish the water if it dries out).