Zong Zi (粽子)
By Tiffy Cooks
This is Zong Zi (粽子), also known as Sticky Rice Dumpling, also known as what you eat to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival. If you have never had Zong Zi (粽子) before, it is kinda similar to Tamales. You wrap sticky rice, meat, nuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients inside the bamboo leaf, and you steam it. The glutinous rice soaks up all the flavor from the bamboo leaf and meat juices, becoming super savory and delicious. This Zong Zi recipe has been passed down from my great-grandma in Taiwan and is a traditional Taiwanese recipe. I have simplified the recipe so it is easy for beginners.
Ingredients
- 40 Bamboo Leaf
- 800 g Glutinous Rice
- 40 Dry Shiitake Mushroom Soaked for 1 hour
- 4 shallots sliced
- 0.5 tbsp White Pepper
- 1 tbsp Five-Spice Powder
- ¼ cup Dried Shrimp soaked based on the above tips
- 0.5 cup Dried Turnip soaked based on the above tips
Peanuts
- 1 cup Peanuts washed and soaked
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Sugar
- 1 cup Water
Pork Belly
- 1 lb Pork Belly
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- 3.5 tbsp Sugar
- 4 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- ½ cup Chinese Cooking Wine optional
- 2-3 cups Water
- 2 Star Anise
- 5 cloves Garlic smashed
Instructions
Bamboo Leaf
- Rinse the bamboo leaf, making sure to be gentle to prevent them from tearing and breaking.
- Soak the bamboo leaf with enough water to cover all the leaves overnight.
- Drain and set aside.
Pork Belly
- Prepare the Pork Belly by cutting the pork belly into 20 bite-size pieces.
- Turn the heat to medium and pan-fry the pork belly for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Pour in soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, garlic, star anise, and water.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and put the lid on to cook for 25 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye out to prevent burning. Add more water if needed.
- Remove the pork belly to cool down, and keep the sauce for the next step.
Glutinous Rice
- Soak the rice overnight with enough water to cover all the rice. The rice will double in size, so make sure to use a large container. Strain the rice and set it aside.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the rice. Pour in around 2 cups of the pork belly sauce, ¼ cup at a time so the rice absorbs the sauce slowly.
- Make sure not to stir too fast and “break” the rice. The goal is to make sure the rice soaks up all the sauce.
Peanuts
- Wash and soak the uncooked peanuts for 2 hours.
- Add the peanuts into a pot, and add ¼ cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of sugar, and 1 cup of water.
- Simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until peanuts are soft.
Shiitake Mushroom
- Soak the shiitake mushroom with hot water once or until mushrooms are soft.
- In a pan, add the mushroom, and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Saute the mushroom for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Pour in around ½ cup of the pork belly sauce and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushroom soaks up all the sauce.
Dried Shrimp and Dried Turnip
- Rinse the dried shrimp and fried turnip separately.
- Soak in two separate bowls for 2 hours. Make sure to change the water every hour. Drain and set aside.
- Add 1.5 tbsp of oil to a pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and add sliced shallots.
- Pan-fry the shallots for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant, and add in dried shrimp and turnip.
- Season with white pepper and five-spice powder and saute on high heat for another 1-2 minutes.
Wrapping Zong Zi
- Get two pieces of the bamboo leaf and layer them on top of each other. You want the two wider ends of the leaf to be on the opposite side.
- Push the middle of the leaf downward and inwards to make a cone-like shape. Hold it tightly with your hands to prevent the fillings from spilling out.
- Start with around 1.5 tbsp of the rice. Push the rice down the cone, so it is tightly packed.
- Add in all the filling above based on your preference. I like to add around one piece of pork belly, one piece of mushroom, and 0.5 tbsp of the peanuts and dried shrimp and turnip.
- Finish off by adding another 1.5 tbsp of rice, pressing them down tightly. Add another piece of shiitake mushroom on top.
- Fold the top of the leaf down to close the cone. Make sure to still tightly hold the bottom of the cone to prevent the fillings from spilling out.
- Once it has folded, wrap the rest of the leaf around using your thumbs to ensure all the openings are closed and secured.
- Wrap with the string 2 to 3 times around the Zong Zi and tightly tie a knot to secure everything.
- If you are a beginner, wrap the Zong Zi with individual strings and then tie them all together at the end. However, if you are experienced, you can tie the strings together ahead of time and continue to tie them around the strings.
- Steam the Zong Zi for 1 hour. Let it rest for 10 minutes before enjoying it.
Video
Notes
Steam all the Zong Zi once you are done wrapping, and once they cool down, you can store them in the freezer until you are ready to eat. When ready to enjoy, re-heat the Zong Zhi by steaming it for 10 minutes or until it is warmed up.
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 806mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg
