Zongzi – Cantonese “Joong”

by Linda Tay Esposito Flavor Explosions, San Francisco

Makes 24 pieces

3 cups glutinous sweet rice, soaked, drained
add 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoon oil
¾ cup peeled, mung beans, soaked, drained
add ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon oil
12 oz pork belly/ pork butt, diced ½ inch cubes

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoon canola oil
12 pieces fresh shiitake, stems removed, sliced finely

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
12 salted duck egg yolks, cut into 2
24 pieces of baby chestnut, or 12 large
72 pieces bamboo leaves
24 pieces yard-long kitchen twine

Preparing the ingredients the night before
1. Wash rice. Cover with 2 inches of water over the top of the rice, and soak overnight.
2. Pick over mung beans, rinse, cover with 2 inches of water over the top & soak overnight.
3. Soak bamboo leaves in hot water overnight. Next morning, scrub with brush and rinse several times to remove dirt. Leave leaves in water till ready to use. Preparing the filling
4. Dice pork, mix with seasoning. Set aside.
5. Sliced mushrooms, mix with seasoning. Set aside. Prepare the ingredients mise en place
6. Drain rice, add salt and oil. Set aside.*
7. Drain mung beans, add salt and oil. Set aside.*
8. Separate yolks and cut into two. Set aside.
9. Cut large chestnuts into two. Set aside. Wrapping the dumpling (see Zongzi Leaf Template or detailed instructions section below)
10. Prepare bamboo cone.
11. Place ½ tablespoon rice into the cone. Make a slight well, then place 1 heaping tablespoon of pork, ½ tablespoon mushroom, ½ egg yolk, and half a chestnut. Followed by 1 tablespoon mungbean and 1 tablespoon of rice. Pack all ingredients tightly as you add them. Flatten the top with a clean wet spoon.
12. Complete wrapping and secure leaves with kitchen twine.
13. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Gently place the dumplings in and boil for 1 1/2 – 2 hours over medium slow fire. Add water constantly to ensure the dumplings are always submerged in water.
14. When cooked, remove the dumplings and hang to dry.
15. Serve with sugar or chili sauce on the side, if you’d like.

* To speed cooking, steam rice for 20 minutes, drizzle with 1 ¼ cup of chicken stock, steam another 10 minutes. Also steam mungbeans for 15 minutes. Boil dumplings for 30-60 minutes.

Detailed Dumpling wrapping
Download the zongzi leaf template for the leaf stencil. The first and second page are set up to print on both sides.
A. Take two bamboo leaves, overlap offsetting each other by ½ inch along the length of the leave. The stems to the left, and the tips to the right, with the 2nd leave closest to you. (A1 reads above A2)
B. At a point 1 inch from the top edge and 1 inch off the middle cross-section (Point B) fold leaves into a conical shape – there should be no opening at the tip of the cone.
C. The tips should be parallel to the stems, and are lower than the stems. (C1 aligns with C2, with C2 on the upper fold) Fill the cone, packing tightly as you fill. Flatten the top with a clean wet spoon.
D. Take a third piece of leave, insert the tip end in between the back fold on the right. (D1 aligns with D2), and cup the dumpling, with ½ inch offset along the edge (both Ds are visible at the base)
E. With the triangle facing you, fold the third leave at the base of your palm towards the filling (E)
F. Next, fold the 3 pieces of tips on the right towards the filling (F)
G. Then, fold the stems on the left side towards the filling (G)
H. Lastly, fold down the remaining leaves towards you. (H) and wrap around the pyramid.
I. Quickly loop a piece of kitchen twine around the dumpling (along the spine of the leaves) to secure leaves in place. Wind twine around dumpling tightly. If necessary add, a second piece of string along a different axis.

NOTE: For savory dumplings, pack, wrap and tie tightly so that the filling will not separate from the rice. For sweet dumplings, pack loosely, wrap and tie loosely so that the rice will have space to expand and it will be soft. The longer you boil the dumpling, the softer it will become. Boil a minimum of 30 minutes if you pre-steam some of the ingredients, otherwise, 1 ½ hours. A perfect boil is about 2 ½ hours.