These Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings, known as zhongzi feature sticky glutinous rice filled with a sweet or savoury filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled until soft.
Chinese sticky rice dumplings are known as zhongzi, zongzi, zhong, or "joong."
They are a traditional Chinese food made with glutinous sticky rice, filled with a sweet or savoury filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled or steamed until soft.
Chinese sticky rice dumplings can vary in shape, ranging from tetrahedral, rectangular to pyramid.
These sticky rice dumplings are not to be confused with tang yuan or mochi, which are small round "dumplings" made with glutinous rice flour (rather than glutinous sticky rice).
This method of shaping the Chinese rice dumplings into a symmetrical pyramid shape is ultra efficient, and only uses 2 pieces of bamboo leaves.
You also only use 1 piece of string to secure the zhong.
There's no need to use a mold to shape the dumplings.
The traditional filling I grew up with is my Mom's Cantonese-style sticky rice dumplings, which contain many of the savoury ingredients listed below.
There are many stories and myths as to the origin of zhongzi.
Zhongzi is associated with Qu-Yuan who was a famous and talented poet who died by drowning himself in the Miluo River.
The Chinese people were grateful to Qu Yuan, and threw rice dumplings into the river, hoping that the fish would eat that instead of his body.
Zhong became an auspicious food during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
As a result, the rice dumplings are traditionally eaten during the Duanwu (double fifth) season of the Chinese calendar (dragon boat festival), which usually takes place in May or June of the Gregorian calendar.
Within each region in Asia, there are many types of zhong, and many ingredient options. You can use whatever filling you like in sticky rice dumplings.
For Cantonese-style:
*: denotes additional prep/cooking
You can find all these ingredients in Asian supermarkets.
Marinate the pork pieces in 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy, ½ cube red bean curd, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine. Cover with a lid and place into the fridge overnight.
Cut Chinese mushrooms into thick slices and season with 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Grind the roasted peanuts add in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder.
Cook the chestnut with 2 teaspoon of sugar.
Prepare the bamboo leaves:
Wash bamboo leaves and trim of the stem.
Fill a very large pot with water and ½ teaspoon lye water.
Boil the leaves for 20 minutes.
Drain and wash each leaf again under clean running water.
Prepare glutinous rice:
Soak the glutinous rice for 1 hour. (After soaking, do not thoroughly drain).
Stir fry the dried shrimps:
In a wok over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil and add in the dried shrimps.
Stir fry until very fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.
Fry the aromatics:
Add in another 2 tablespoon of oil and add in minced shallot. Fry until almost golden brown.
Add in garlic and continue to fry until golden in colour.
Remove about ⅔rd of the garlic and shallot to a separate bowl.
Braise the pork:
With the remaining ⅓rd garlic and shallot, add in the marinated pork and braise with just enough water to cover.
Cook until the sauce is evaporated. Transfer to a separate bowl and cool.
Cook the mushrooms:
Using the same wok, add in the Chinese mushrooms and cook for a few minutes to soak up any remaining sauce.
Par-cook the glutinous rice:
Add in 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, add in 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 2 tablespoon ground fennel and add in the glutinous rice (that isn't too well-drained).
Next, add in the remaining fried shallot and garlic and add ½ teaspoon of salt.
Stir fry the rice for 10-15 minutes until the rice is partially cooked, almost crumbing (not dry, but not sticky) together.
Add in the fried shrimps and combine together with the rice.
Let the rice cool.
Line the floor with clean newspaper. Place all dishes on the floor.
Hook the cotton string/twine onto a chair.
Take 2 bamboo leaves with the tail ends, stacked over top, overlapping each other (Step 1 above).
Curve the leaves into a cone shape with about ⅓rd length on the right and the left side being slightly longer (Step 2 above).
Fill the cone with 1 very large spoonful of rice, spreading the rice upward (Step 3 above).
Place all the filling ingredients in and cover with another large spoonful of rice (Step 4 above).
Bend the leaves to cover the rice and wrap it with 1 piece of cotton string/twine (Step 5 through 9).
Squeeze the finish dumpling a little so that all the ingredients are compacted, being careful not to burst the leaves.
Fill a large pot with ⅔rds water in it for boiling.
Place dumplings in the boiling water, add a handful of coarse salt and 10 pieces of star anise.
When the water is at a rolling boil, reduce to lower heat and cook dumplings for 2 hours.
Add extra boiling water when water is depleted.
Remove dumplings out of the water and let cool completely on a large plate before serving.
You can serve the sticky rice dumplings while they are warm or cooled.
In addition, you can also serve it at room temperature -- it's a food that can travel well.
If it's a savoury zhong, add a drizzle of chili oil or chili sauce if you like it spicy.
Store the sticky rice dumplings in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can freeze them (well-wrapped) in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.
Reheat the zhong by boiling or steaming for 15-20 minutes, until soft and heated through.
If using a microwave to reheat, spray the rice dumpling with some water and cover with a damp paper towel before heating in 2 minute intervals, until heated through in the middle.
Making Chinese sticky rice dumplings is truly a labour of love, but well worth it.
I highly recommend dividing the tasks over a few days to make it more manageable.
Have some extra bamboo leaves on hand just in case there are ripped ones.
After enjoying the the sticky rice dumplings, you can discard or compost the bamboo leaves. You could save the bamboo leaves to reuse, but it's better to discard them as they can become brittle and dry over time.
However, you can rinse the cotton strings to reuse them for next time.
Can sticky rice dumplings be frozen?
Yes, they freeze very well (if well wrapped) for up to 6 months.
Are they gluten-free?
They are naturally gluten-free, however you may want to check for cross-contamination in the ingredients you use if this is an issue for you.
Are they healthy?
They can be, depending on the filling ingredients.
I would say that they a filling, portable meal in a neat little package.
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Homemade Chinese Egg Tarts
Ham Sui Gok 咸水角 (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)
Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)
Rice Noodle Rolls 豬腸粉 (Chee Cheong Fun)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Print Recipe from votesThese Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings, known as zhongzi feature sticky glutinous rice filled with a sweet or savoury filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled until soft.
Prep Time
4
hours
hrs
Cook Time
2
hours
hrs
Total Time
6
hours
hrs
Servings:
40
Calories:
192
kcal
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
40
pieces
lean pork
cut into 1” x ½” x ½”
2
tablespoon
light soy sauce
1
tablespoon
dark soy sauce
½
cube
red bean curd
2
teaspoon
granulated sugar
½
teaspoon
Chinese 5-spice powder
½
teaspoon
black pepper
1
teaspoon
Shaoxing wine
10
large Chinese mushrooms
soaked overnight
2
tablespoon
soy sauce
1
teaspoon
granulated sugar
1
teaspoon
sesame oil
400
g
peanuts
roasted and ground (or raw peanuts, cooked in a little water with the seasonings below for 15 minutes)
1
teaspoon
sea salt
1
teaspoon
granulated sugar
1
teaspoon
Chinese 5-spice powder
20
pieces
dried chestnuts
soaked
2
teaspoon
granulated sugar
enough water to cook
44
large bamboo leaves
with extra for any ripped ones
2
tablespoon
vegetable oil
1
kg
(6 cups) long grain glutinous rice
2
tablespoon
ground coriander
2
tablespoon
ground fennel
½
teaspoon
sea salt
2
tablespoon
vegetable oil
⅔
cup
dried shrimps
washed and soaked overnight
2
tablespoon
vegetable oil
3
shallots
minced
3
bulbs
garlic
minced
200
g
mung beans
washed and soaked overnight
10
pieces
salted duck egg yolks
cut into ½ (if eggs are fresh, cut with a piece of dental floss)
20
pieces
cotton string/twine
cut into 44" lengths
water
handful
coarse sea salt
10
star anise
optional
Cook Mode
Prevent your screen from going dark
Marinate the pork pieces in 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy, ½ cube red bean curd, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon 5-spice powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine.
Cover with a lid and place into the fridge overnight.
Cut Chinese mushrooms into thick slices and season with 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Grind the roasted peanuts add in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder.
Cook the chestnut with 2 teaspoon of sugar and just enough water to cover.
Wash bamboo leaves and trim of the stem.
Fill a very large pot with water and ½ teaspoon lye water.
Boil the leaves for 20 minutes.
Drain and wash each leaf again under clean running water.
Soak the glutinous rice for 1 hour. (After soaking, do not thoroughly drain).
In a wok over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil and add in the dried shrimps.
Stir fry until very fragrant and transfer to a small bowl.
Add in another 2 tablespoon of oil and add in minced shallot. Fry until almost golden brown.
Add in garlic and continue to fry until golden in colour.
Remove about ⅔rd of the garlic and shallot to a separate bowl.
With the remaining ⅓rd garlic and shallot, add in the marinated pork and braise with just enough water to cover.
Cook until the sauce is evaporated. Transfer to a separate bowl and cool.
Using the same wok, add in the Chinese mushrooms and cook for a few minutes to soak up any remaining sauce.
Add in 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, add in 2 tablespoon ground coriander, 2 tablespoon ground fennel and add in the glutinous rice (that isn't too well-drained).
Next, add in the reserved fried shallot and garlic and add ½ teaspoon of salt.
Stir fry the rice for 10-15 minutes until the rice is partially cooked, almost crumbing (not dry, but not sticky) together.
Add in the fried shrimps and combine together with the rice.
Let the rice cool.
Line the floor with clean newspaper. Place all dishes on the floor.
Hook the cotton strings on a chair.
Take 2 bamboo leaves with the tail ends, stacked over top, overlapping each other.
Curve the leaves into a cone shape with about ⅓rd length on the right and the left side being slightly longer.
Fill the cone with 1 very large spoonful of rice, spreading the rice upward.
Place all the filling ingredients in and cover with another large spoonful of rice.
Bend the leaves to cover the rice and wrap it with a cotton string.
Squeeze the finish dumpling a little so that all the ingredients are compacted, being careful not to burst the leaves.
Fill a large pot with ⅔rds water in it for boiling.
Place dumplings in the boiling water, add a handful of coarse salt and 10 pieces of star anise (optional).
When the water is at a rolling boil, reduce to lower heat and cook dumplings for 2 hours, or until cooked through. Add extra boiling water when water is depleted.
Remove dumplings out of the water and let cool completely on a large plate before serving.
Calories:
192
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
27
g
|
Protein:
9
g
|
Fat:
6
g
|
Saturated Fat:
1
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
2
g
|
Monounsaturated Fat:
2
g
|
Trans Fat:
1
g
|
Cholesterol:
48
mg
|
Sodium:
369
mg
|
Potassium:
192
mg
|
Fiber:
3
g
|
Sugar:
1
g
|
Vitamin A:
8
IU
|
Vitamin C:
1
mg
|
Calcium:
46
mg
|
Iron:
2
mg
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Did you try this recipe?
Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer
If you have any questions on Square Bamboo Leaves, Bamboo Leaves For Sashimi. We will give the professional answers to your questions.