Bak Zang (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Glutinous rice, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained — 600 g (3 cups)
- Pork belly, cut into chunks — 400 g (14 oz)
- Light soy sauce — 3 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce — 2 tbsp
- Chinese five-spice powder — 1 tbsp
- Sugar — 2 tbsp
- Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and halved — 8
- Cooked chestnuts — 200 g (7 oz)
- Salted egg yolks, halved — 6
- Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
- Garlic cloves, minced — 3
- Dried bamboo leaves, soaked and rinsed — 16-20
- Kitchen string, for tying
Method
- Marinate the pork belly in soy sauces, five-spice powder and sugar for at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a wok, fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the marinated pork and its marinade and cook for 8-10 minutes until browned.
- Add the mushrooms and stir-fry briefly, then set the filling mixture aside to cool slightly.
- Toss the drained glutinous rice with a little of the pork marinade liquid to lightly season and colour it.
- Fold two soaked bamboo leaves into a cone shape, add a layer of rice, then pork, mushroom, chestnut and half a salted egg yolk, and top with more rice to enclose the filling completely.
- Fold the leaves over to seal into a pyramid shape and tie firmly with kitchen string. Boil the dumplings in a large pot of water for 2 hours, topping up water as needed, until the rice is fully cooked.
Introduction: Bak zang are savoury glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, filled with pork belly, mushrooms, chestnuts and salted egg yolk, traditionally prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Cultural Background: Bak zang are savoury glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, filled with pork belly, mushrooms, chestnuts and salted egg yolk, traditionally prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival. Brought by Chinese immigrant communities and adapted with local flavours, they remain a treasured family tradition in Singapore, often made together in large batches by several generations at once.
Tips: Pack the rice and filling firmly into the leaf cone, leaving no air gaps, to help the dumpling hold its shape during the long boil. Tie the string firmly but not so tight that it cuts into the leaves, allowing the rice to expand slightly as it cooks.
Variations: Add dried shrimp to the filling for extra savoury depth, a common regional variation. Make a smaller batch with just pork and mushroom for a simpler, quicker version. A vegetarian version can be made using marinated mushrooms, tofu and chestnuts in place of the pork and salted egg yolk, though this is a modern adaptation.
Storage: Refrigerate cooked, cooled dumplings in their leaves for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Steam for 20-25 minutes from chilled, or 35-40 minutes from frozen, until piping hot throughout.
Nutrition: Approx. 520 kcal, 22g protein, 58g carbs, 22g fat, 2g fibre per serving.
FAQs:
Q: What is the Dragon Boat Festival?
A: The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese festival commemorating the poet Qu Yuan, marked by dragon boat races and the eating of rice dumplings like bak zang.
Q: Can I use fresh banana leaves instead of bamboo leaves?
A: Bamboo leaves are traditional and impart a distinct aroma to the rice; banana leaves can be used in a pinch but will give a different flavour.
- Glutinous rice, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained — 600 g (3 cups)
- Pork belly, cut into chunks — 400 g (14 oz)
- Light soy sauce — 3 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce — 2 tbsp
- Chinese five-spice powder — 1 tbsp
- Sugar — 2 tbsp
- Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and halved — 8
- Cooked chestnuts — 200 g (7 oz)
- Salted egg yolks, halved — 6
- Vegetable oil — 3 tbsp
- Garlic cloves, minced — 3
- Dried bamboo leaves, soaked and rinsed — 16-20
- Kitchen string, for tying
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