Teo Chew Bak Chang (Zongzi)

 

Zongzi is a Chinese traditional food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.  They are cooked by steaming or boiling.  This is eaten during the Duanwu Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar (approximately late May to mid-June).  This year it fell on June 12, 2013.

Being in United States, and did not have the luxury of having my mom's Zongzi, I learned to make this by watching her since I was a little girl.  I now made this for my husband and kids.  My husband is not too crazy for this but my kids love it.  Yes, my kids have some Chinese genes in them.  Below is my mom's fantastic Teo Chew Bak Chang (Zongzi) recipe that I modified it slightly.  It takes a lot of work but it is all worth while when it is ready!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 lbs glutinous rice (soaked overnight)
4 lbs pork belly (cut into chunks)
10 oz chestnut (soaked)
10 oz dried shrimp (soaked)
10 oz dried mushroom (soaked) and cut into half)
14 oz bamboo leaves (boiled and soaked)
Strings
7 tbsp dark soy sauce
7 tbsp light soy sauce
8 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp corn flour
5 tsp five spice powder
5 tsp salt
5 tsp pepper
1 garlic (used for pork belly and dried shrimp)
5 tbsp oil
Water

Preparation:

Soak the glutinous rice over night.
Soak the dried mushroom, chestnut and dried shrimp.
Boil the leaves and wash it piece by piece.
Wash the pork bell, cut into one inch chunk, marinate the pork belly with 3 tsp salt, 3 tsp pepper, 3 tsp five spice powder, 4 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp light soy sauce and 2 tbsp corn flour, and leave it over night.

Cooking:

Heat up the wok with oil, sautéed the garlic for couple of minutes and then in goes the marinated pork belly.  Throw in the chestnuts and mushrooms.  Add in some seasonings; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp five spice powder to further enhance the taste.   Stir fry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside for it to cool off.

Now for the glutinuous rice.  Similar cooking process, just the rice and add in the same seasonings and stir fry for 15 minutes.  do add some water if it's too dry.  Set aside.

In a small wok, stir fry garlic and dried shrimp for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Finally, we are ready to wrap....

Wrapping:

Take two leaves and fold into a cone shape.  Add 1 tbsp of glutinous rice, 2-3 pcs of pork belly, 1/2 pc of mushroom, 1 pc chestnut, 4-5 dried shrimp, and fill up with glutinous rice.  Fold and wrap the leaf to close the gap.  Make sure there's no gap.  Secure with the string tightly.

Cook the Bak Chang (Zongzi) in a large pot of boiling water for about 4 hours.  Enjoy!!!

Make sure you put some in the freezer for later.  You can store the rest in the fridge.  When you want to eat, just unwrapped one or two or more and microwave it.