The Dragon Boat Festival is coming, which means it's time to make zongzi! Luckily, we have some zongzi recipes that you can try, both salty and sweet. We also have a lazy version for those who feel uncomfortable with all the packaging.
Zongzi is salty and sweet, and everyone has their own favorite taste. My personal favorite is my aunt's lye water dumplings. It is a very basic zongzi with a unique color and subtle taste. When I was a child, my family often made their own rice dumplings, and rarely went out to buy them, and my grandmother and aunt used to make at least two or three varieties each time, and the yield was very large!
It was a day's work, and the preparations had begun the night before. In fact, if you've ever had the privilege of having someone else do this for you, you should be very grateful — it's a lot of work, and very few people know how to do it well.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="8" > prepare rice dumplings</h1>
Wrapping rice dumplings is a fairly labor-intensive process – it takes two days. Below we have outlined the method of making each ingredient, then the method of making rice dumplings, and finally the cooking method.
Some people can wrap these rice dumplings quickly and easily, but for others, this can become an impossible task.
But don't worry. With a little practice, plus our distribution instructions, you'll be able to fold them correctly and quickly. In terms of size and shape, there is no right or wrong. As long as it is wrapped tightly and does not crack when cooking, it is successful!
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="14" > raw material</h1>
Here's all you need. We'll walk you through it in detail so you can prepare each section.
36 to 40 dried reed leaves (2 to 3 pieces per rice dumpling)
5 cups uncooked short-grained glutinous rice (also known as glutinous rice or "sweet rice")
2 tablespoons light soy sauce, add 2 teaspoons
2 teaspoons salt, add 1/2 teaspoon
2/3 cup fresh flowers
454g pork belly, cut into 12 equal portions
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tsp. Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tsp. oil
1/2 cup water
6 salted duck egg yolks
3 dachshunds
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" > prepare rice dumpling leaves</h1>
36 to 40 bamboo leaves (2 to 3 bamboo leaves per rice dumpling)
First, soak the leaves overnight. The next day, wash the leaves front and back and place them in a large bowl or basin of water until the time of wrapping so they don't dry out.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="33" > prepare sweet rice:</h1>
5 cups glutinous rice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
Soak the glutinous rice overnight. The next day, drain completely in a colander. Mix the soaked raw rice, soy sauce and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="39" > prepare peanuts:</h1>
2/3 cup fresh flower
Soak the peanuts overnight. The next day, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, drain and set aside.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="43" > prepare pork belly:</h1>
2 tsp. light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup water
In a bowl, stir the pork belly together with soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper. Marinate overnight. The purpose of this step is to make the pork belly slightly salty, as the rice absorbs excess salt, giving the rice dumplings a unique salty and umami taste.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Before adding water, cook the pork belly for a few minutes. Cover the pot and cook for 5-10 minutes until the broth is gone. Remove from the wok and let cool.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="56" > prepare other ingredients:</h1>
Cut the yolks in half. Cut the sausage into 12 equal portions. Place in a separate bowl.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="61" > dumplings:</h1>
wow! Well done. Now we're all ready to wrap up these delicacies. Below we provide a picture of how to wrap zongzi steps.
Before you begin, there are a few things to keep in mind:
You have to use kitchen scissors to cut off at least 1.3 cm of the leaf stem at the bottom of each leaf, as it is easy to puncture your precious rice dumplings when packing.
Make sure the hemp rope in the kitchen doesn't break easily. To do this, it is best to first dip the twine into a bowl of water and wet it.
It's best to tie one end of the hemp rope to a fixed point or kitchen utensil (like a kitchen sink) because you only have one hand to tie the rice dumplings. Your other hand will be holding the rice dumplings. Or find someone to help you! Making rice dumplings is like making a bunch of dumplings or ravioli – all hands on deck! Just make sure the novice pulls the line, the experienced professional is folding!
If there are leaves that are torn during the packaging process, you need to start over and throw away the torn leaves. That's why I need more leaves. Some leaves are sure to be torn.
First several leaves are stacked on top of each other, and then the bottom is folded up to form a cone.
Put a little rice at the bottom, as well as egg yolks, peanuts, pork belly and sausages.
Add a little more rice.
Fold the sides longitudinally to the middle and place your hands on the bottom of the cone so that they don't fall apart.
Pinch the leaf on top so that it seals.
Fold the rice dumpling leaves down...
And tie the rice dumplings tightly. Just seal it. It doesn't have to be pretty. Use kitchen scissors to cut off excess parts of the leaves.
That's it! Repeat the steps until your leaves and filling are used up.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="85" > boiled rice dumplings:</h1>
Take a medium pot and place the rice dumplings neatly inside, avoiding large gaps. Put a large plate directly on top of the rice dumplings to press the rice dumplings. Fill the pot with cold water until the rice dumplings are submerged. Place the pot on the stove and heat at medium to high heat. After the water has boiled, turn the heat to low/medium low and simmer for at least 7-8 hours.
The water should be "flowing" when stewing, but there should be no large tumbling bubbles. You have to check the pot frequently to make sure that the rice dumplings are always soaked in water. Only add boiling water to adjust the water level, do not add room temperature water or cold water. Put a pot of hot water on the stove so you can get ready during the 7-8 hours cooking time.
Once the 7-8 hours have arrived, eat zongzi while it is hot! Sweet rice dumplings can be enjoyed at room temperature, but salty rice dumplings are the best when they are steaming hot.
If you don't have 7-8 hours to cook these dishes, you can also cook them in an instant pot in a short period of time (90 minutes).
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="94" > some useful tips for enjoying rice dumplings:</h1>
When eating, simply cut the twine and open the leaves to reveal the rice dumplings inside.
Rice dumplings can be frozen after cooling to room temperature. To reheat, first remove the rice dumplings from the refrigerator a few hours before cooking to thaw. Re-boil the rice dumplings in water for 15-20 minutes.
Zongzi are usually served as is, but who would stop you from eating your favorite chili sauce? No