Zhong Zi

Dumpling Festival - 12 Jun 2013 (Lunar calendar - 5th May)

As usual, the dumpling festival arriving soon. We can see the market sell bak chang (dumpling) and colleagues in office bring bak chang for lunch.

Before I get marry, I was assistant to my mum when she prepared bak chang ingredients. So to wrap a bak chang and how to make bak chang is not a problem to me. This year I also make my own bak chang for my family. 2 reasons why I want to do bak chang because it is expensive to buy bak chang in the market (price per pc at least RM3.80 and with pork only) and some of outside bak chang got borac asid. Borac asid is harmful to our health, but it is just to make the dumpling won't stick to the bamboo leaf. I read few recipes in the internet, some of the recipes also got borac asid. I advise to all, don't put borac asid. My dumpling didn't stick to bamboo leaf. 2 reasons why my dumpling didn't stick to the bamboo leaf - don't overcook the dumpling and make sure the leaf (smoother and shining side) use to wrap bak chang.

I didn't do a lot, but enough for family member consumption. I bought 1kg glutine rice to make 15 kee chang and 14 bak chang. So tomorrow I don't need to buy bak chang for praying to God and my father in-law. My father-in-law pass away in the same date with dumpling festival. So it is easy to remember him. He passed away a day after I married to my husband due to brain cancer. His wish was fulfilled after he saw his son get married.

On Friday (7/6/13), I soak the glutine rice, chestnut and red bean with water before I go to work. I cleaned them after work, then keep into fridge for next day.
On Saturday (8/6/13), I soak 2 cups of glutine rice with water and alkaline water (to make kee chang) before I go to do my weekly marketing. After come back from marketing, I start to prepare the rest of ingredients.

The ingredients : 1kg glutine rice, red bean, fried peanut, dried prawn, mushroom, belly pork, chicken (optional), chestnut, salted egg yolk.
I marinated the pork, chicken and mushroom with oyster sauce, black sauce, salt, 5 spices and pepper in the morning. I cooked it after I came back from marketing. I fried the glutine rice and red bean with shallot, 5 spices and pepper.

In the afternoon, I started to wrap kee chang. My kee chang only used 2 spoon alkaline water for 2 cups of glutine rice. So the taste won't have too strong alkaline water and the colour still nice. See below is the kee chang that I wrap. Take me about 1/2 to wrap the kee chang.
I put the kee chang into boiled water and cover it full with water. Slowly boil it for 2 1/2 hours.

After I finished wrapping kee chang, I started to wrap bak chang. I cooked the bak chang for 2 hours because I don't like it is too soft if cook longer time. See the bak chang that I made.

See what happen after I had done both, I got the taste and shape which I wanted. My big boy also got his chicken bak chang because no pork for him and outside can't find chicken bak chang for him.

After I put the dumpling into water for cooking, I brought my son to my sister-in-law's apartment. He was enjoyed to see children swim and play water in the pool. This year my son and daughter still got no chance to try my dumpling. Maybe 2 more years, I will let them try.