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Zhongzi – Glutinous rice pyramids wrapped in bamboo leaves 粽子

June 22, 2012 in Uncategorized

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I love my folks and visiting them always includes many foodie highlights. This visit up, my mama taught me how to make zhongzi, also known as rice pyramids, Chinese tamales, glutinous rice cakes and glutinous rice tamales.

Zhongzi is traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival 端午節) period, which falls on the 5th of the 5th on the lunar calendar. This festival commemorates the poet Qu Yuan 屈原. I remember this story well from my Chinese classes and storybooks and it’s one of those stories all Asians should know. This year 2012, it falls on the 23rd June.

“Qu Yuan (c. 340 BCE – 278 BCE) was a patriotic nobleman who served in court in the state of Chu 楚国, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty 战国时代. However, after resisting the alliance with the corrupt state of Quin, Qu Yuan was banished.  While living in exile, Qu Yuan spent his time writing poetry, becoming one of the most well-known Chinese poets throughout history. Sadly, 28 years later, the state of Chu was attacked and dominated by the state of Quin. After Qu Yuan heard the devastating news, he drowned himself in the Milo River 汨罗江 on the 5th of the 5th in 278 BCE.
 
The locals, who admired his patriotism, made glutinous rice pyramids wrapped in bamboo leaves and threw them into the Milo River, in hopes that the fish in the river would eat the zhongzi and leave Qu Yuan’s body’s alone. The locals then searched for the body in boats and thus, the dragon boat race became a tradition to mark the occasion.”
 

Zhongzi flavours and fillings vary from city to city and country to country. My family is from Tainan, which is south of Taiwan – the ingredients that my mama prepares are more on the savoury side and also, adapted for my family’s taste buds (I secretly add more pickled duck egg yolk and shiitake mushrooms to the ones I make). This dish is made with glutinous rice, which is also known as sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, mochi rice, biroin chal and pearl rice. Even though it’s called glutinous rice, like all rice types, it is completely gluten-free.

Makes 10

Ingredients:

To prepare the zhongzi requires quite a bit of time, as all the ingredients for the filling needs to be cooked before being encased in bamboo leaves and rice. For a vegetarian version, add more mushrooms and veto the pork.

  • 5 cups glutinous rice (soaked in warm water)
  • 20 bamboo leaves (soaked in warm water)
  • 1 tbsp Shallots mix (purchasable in Chinese stores)
  • Oil to fry shallots and to add to rice
  • 10 shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp
  • 1 cup peanuts with husk (boiled, but intact)
  • 2 strips of cooked pork rashers or pork belly (slice into 10 pieces)
  • ½ cup soya sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 10 strings

Method: (To see method in step-by-step pictures, click here to the original post)

  • Add a tbsp of oil to the rice and water, this will prevent your zhongzi from sticking to the bamboo leaves at the end.
  • Cut the mushrooms into halves and make sure to have already soaked them if they were dry.
  • Fry up the shallots and when it becomes golden brown with some oil, add the shrimp into the frying pan for another few minutes.
  • Separately, fry the pork belly till golden brown then add the soya sauce and sugar till caramelised.
  • This is the tricky part (see steps). Place two bamboo leaves, with the shiny side facing upwards, on top of each other, opposite ways. Fold it 4/5ths of the way to the right, with the right end on the inside and the left holding it on the outside.
  • Drop in a few peanuts, then press it down gently with a tbsp of rice.
  • Add the filling in – 2 mushroom halves, a yolk, shallots and shrimp, and pork.
  • Fill it to just under the brim with rice, making sure there are no air spaces in between.
  • Fold the leaves over the top, pressing the rice down.
  • Steam for 1 hour and serve.
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Sweet Douhua (Black Bean/Soy Pudding) 豆花

June 2, 2012 in Uncategorized

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Asia’s equivalent of panacotta, but a gluten-free, vegan-friendly pudding.

Douhua 豆花 (dòuhuā) is a soy pudding made from soy milk with a velvety smooth and silky texture that’s served drenched in a brown sugar syrup. My papa told me stories of his childhood, where there’d be food vendors pushing around a little cart selling food to the locals. He said if the dohua was still warm, it usually meant it was fresh.

This black bean/soy pudding is a soft tofu dessert. It forms as the soy milk coagulates into curds when it cools down and reacts to the gypsum powder. In Taiwanese cuisine, dohua is often served with sweet toppings, including:

  • soft and sweet cooked peanuts
  • tapioca pearls (used in bubble tea)
  • sweet mung beans
  • sweet red beans
  • grass jelly
  • agar agar jello

My family serves it with a simple brown sugar syrup, but ever since I had douhua from Taiwan in December, I add tapioca pearls in mine as well now. Simply boil 1/4 Cup brown sugar to 1 Cups of water till it thickens in a pot on the stove, then allow to cool.

There are two ways to make this dairy-free pudding. You can buy a premix packet, follow the quantity instruction on the bag and mix boiled soy milk with the powder from the bag (this is often a guaranteed fool-proof method) or make the mixture from scratch. Unlike premix boxes for muffins, cakes and brownies, the mixture is a mere combination of corn flour and gypsum powder. For the pictures, I used a premix pack that can be bought at any local Chinese supermarket in Cape Town.

Ingredients:

This is a useful recipe using gypsum powder and cornstarch if you plan to make from scratch. Honestly, it’s easier making it with a premix.  If you’re using a premix, follow the instructions for quantities of liquids.

  • 1tsp gypsum powder  (熟石膏粉)
  • 1tsp cornstarch/Maizena
  • 1 000 ml/1l of unsweetened soy milk (you can also used sweetened soy milk, just remember to add less syrup when serving)
  • 1 Tbsp of hot water

Method:

  • Heat the soy milk up until it boils for a minute (keep stirring in between to avoid burning)
  • In a bowl, mix the gypsum powder and hot water, until it’s completely dissolved. *
  • Add the corn starch into the mixture and mix until even. *
  • In a separate container (I used a ceramic bowl as the cooling process will be distributed more evenly), scoop the mixture into the centre of the container.
  • Pour the boiled soy milk into the container and stir the mixture into the soy milk very quickly while it’s hot, this prevents coagulation before the pudding is completely even (try achieve in under a minute).
  • Cover the container and let it sit for 30 minutes – do not move the container, the slightest movement can cause irregularity in texture during coagulation. The longer it sits, the firmer the pudding will be.

Suggestions:

The trick when serving is to use a sharp and large spoon to scoop pudding up into a serving bowl without breaking it. Serve hot or cold (refrigeration), with toppings and a simple brown syrup, sometimes flavoured with almond or ginger.

When served cold, it won’t be as smooth as it is when it’s warm. Try eat as fresh as possible.

Originally posted on Butterfingers here.

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