Cantonese-Style Zongzi Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 30 mins

This the recipe for Cantonese style zongzi (rice dumpling).Course: Festive delicacy Cuisine: Chinese Servings: 20 dumplings Calories: 400 kcal

Ingredients for the pork

• 350 g pork belly of any pork with some fat

• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

For the mushrooms

• 8 pieces Chinese dried mushrooms

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

For the glutinous rice

• 1.2 kg glutinous rice

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the mung beans

• 600 g mung beans

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Others

• 10 salted egg yolks cut to half

• 10 chestnuts cut to half

• 20 dry oysters

• 20 g dry shrimps

• 60 pieces bamboo leaves

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

1. Cut the pork into 20 pieces. Marinate the pork overnight or up to three two days in the refrigerator

2. Soak the mushroom. Combine with the seasonings.

3. Soak and rehydrate the dry oysters for one hour.

4. Soak the glutinous rice overnight or at least four hours. Combine with the seasonings.

5. Soak the mung beans for at least one hour. Combine with the seasonings.

6. Stir-fry the glutinous rice, mung beans, dry shrimps and dry oysters until aromatic.

7. Soak the chestnuts. Clean. Lightly toast the chestnuts.

8. Cut the egg yolks into quarters.

Prepare the leaves

1. Place the leaves in a stockpot and fill up with cold water enough to submerge the leaves.

2. Place a bowl on top of the leaves to prevent them from floating.

3. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Bring it to a boil.

4. Boil at low heat for half an hour.

5. Remove and soak the leaves overnight.

6. Use the leaves immediately to wrap the zongzi. Soak them in water if you want to use them later so that the leaves sill not dry out.

To wrap and tie the zongzi

This step requires some demonstration. Please refer to the note above and watch the video.

To cook the zongzi

1. Choose a stock pot with the right size to nest all the zongzi.

2. Bring the water to a boil.

3. Place all the zongzi into the pot. Make sure all the zongzi are submerged in the water.

4. Add boiling water from time to time.

5. Add boiling water from time to time if necessary. Do not add cold water.

6. After six hours, remove the zongzi from the pot. Unwrap them immediately or keep them for future enjoyment. (You can freeze the zongzi up to two weeks.)