Chicken Curry Rice Dumplings (Zongzi/Chang) 咖喱鸡肉粽子

I hope it is never too late to update a dumplings recipe. I know Dumpling day (dragon boat festival) already over. But I was waiting for my master sifu (my mom) to came over my place to teach me how to wrap dumplings..Last year I failed to wrap a nice dumpling shape, my mom scolded me "Poon Tang" ( slow learning ), hahaha..Anyway, this year I proud that I have master the wrapping skill of rice dumplings, yahoo!

 I was thinking to ask my mom to teach me the Bar Chang ( belly pork rice dumplings) but the homemade salted eggs have yet to ready. So I change plan, get her to teach me another good recipe, chicken curry rice dumplings..

 I cooked this chicken curry from the scratch before my mom came..

 To prepare bamboo leaves, need to prepare 1 day in advance..

 To prepare savoury glutinous rice

Lets my mom show you how to wrap rice dumplings 

I also record a video when my mom is wrapping the rice dumplings..If you understand Hokkien dialect, then you will be more understand ^_^. 

Chicken Curry Rice Dumplings (Zongzi/Chang) 咖喱鸡肉粽子

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes 26 rice dumplings (medium size)

To prepare bamboo leaves (1 day in advance)

1. Lightly wash the bamboo leaves and soak in water for a day. Place a heavy object on the bamboo leaves so the leaves can be submerged in water.
2. The next day, wash both sides of the bamboo leaves under running water by rubbing both sides of the leaves. The bamboo leaves is now ready for wrapping. 

To prepare glutinous rice

1kg glutinous rice

50g dried shrimps, soak for 5mins
30pcs dried shitake mushrooms, soak in water to soften and trim the stem, sliced thinly
20 shallots, sliced
Cooking oil
3tsp salt or to taste (have to more salty than usual)
1tbsp sugar
3tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp dark caramel sauce or adjust accordingly

Method

1. Soak glutinous rice for 3 hrs, drained
2. Heat cooking oil in a wok, sauté shallots till golden brown.
3. Add in dried shrimps and mushroom slices, stir fry for few minutes.
4. Add glutinous rice and seasonings, mix well.
5. Dish out in a large bowl, set aside.

To prepare chicken curry

1.2kg chicken bite-size pieces (4pcs chicken Maryland)

To blend

30 dried chillies, soak in hot water till soften
3 lemongrass
12 shallots
5 garlic
1” ginger
1” fresh turmeric

To mix spices paste

1tbsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder (jintan putih)
1tsp fennel powder (jintan manis)
2tbsp meat curry powder
3tbsp water

4 sprig curry leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

1/2cup thick coconut milk
Salt, fish sauce, and sugar to taste

Method

1. Heat cooking oil in a wok, sauté blended ingredients till aroma.
2. Add in spices paste, cinnamon stick and curry leaves, continue to mix well.
3. Mix in chicken pieces, stir and cook for 1min.
4. Add in water, continue to cook for 15mins or water reduced.
5. Pour in coconut milk, add in seasonings, continue to cook till thicken gravy.

To assemble rice dumplings

1. Soak grass strands in water till soften.
2. Overlap two pieces of bamboo leaves to make a cone shape.
3. Spoon 1-2tbsp rice into the cone, top with chicken curry pieces and cover with rice again.
4. Use the bamboo leaves to press and firm the rice, fold in the bamboo leaves, tie with soaked grass strand ( circle the grass strand two times and lightly pull the strand then tie it for two times to secure).

To boil rice dumplings

1. Boil a big pot of water. When water boiled, add 1tbsp salt into the water.
2. Lower down the rice dumplings, water should be enough to cover all dumplings.
3. Close the lid, boil the rice dumplings over high heat for 1 ½ hrs to 2hrs (depend on how you want the rice texture). Boil half way through, change the position of dumplings by move those dumplings at the bottom to the top and vice-versa. Check water from time to time, add only Hot water when it is necessary.
4. Once done, remove rice dumplings and hang the rice dumplings to dry up.
5. If you use a pressure cooker to boil rice dumplings, boil for 30-45mins.

 

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up "Curry Powder" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well Flanders and organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My little favourite DIY.