Bak Zhang (Savoury Rice Dumpling)

This is a post that most will not try the recipe but I blog this as a respect to my ah mm and to keep a record on this humble blog and also because it is very LABORIOUS!!! die die must show off a bit. 

To those who know how to wrap the Bak Chang will have their own family recipe and this is my family's version. 

There are many reasons people nowadays prefer buying from stores than wrapping their own bak zhang. It is indeed very laborious (no wonder one bak zhang can cost a lot, so do not complain) and a lot of ingredients to prepare beforehand. The wrapping itself requires a certain skill as well. Otherwise everything might fall out of it and things will get messy.

First thing first, must clean the bamboo leaves. Blanch the leaves for few minutes to soften the leaves as well as to bring out the fragrance, otherwise, soak the leaves overnight. Use a new clean sponge to wipe the leaves. Each bak zhang requires two leaves.

Here are the rest of the ingredients:
1) Reed strings
2) Glutinous rice. Soaked uncooked glutinous rice for 2 hours. Then, in a big frying pan, pour in some oil and stir fry half of chopped garlics and onions. Next, add in coriander powder, white pepper and five spice powder to the mixture and continue frying until the garlics and onions start turning brownish. This is pretty fast and you have to carefully monitor it, otherwise, it will get burnt. Add in the glutinous rice and fry until well mixed. Add seasonings and mix well.
3) Braised pork belly
4) Fried shortbill spearfish (He bi)
5) Stirfried chestnuts
6) Stirfried shitake mushrooms
7) Salted egg yolks

Add in the glutinous rice

Add in all the ingredients 

Add in salted egg yolk

Finally, you can boil over the stove using high heat for 45 minutes to an hour to cook the rice. Otherwise, boil the zhang in pressure cooker and cook for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, release the pressure and take out one zhang and open to see if it is already to the texture that you want. If note, continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Voila!