Pseudo Nyonya Zhang (Dumpling)

Dumpling Festival is just around the corner.

Previous years, Mamarazzi had made "Bak Chang"(Meat dumpling) and "Kan Shui Chang"(Alkaline Dumplings).  This year, Mamarazzi thought of trying her hands on different type of Zhang(dumpling) pulak.

This round she thought of making Nyonya Zhang. Uncle Arthur had kindly provided Mamarazzi with recipe for Nyonya Zhang from Shereen's blog. And Shereen had very generously given useful tips on making the Zhang. 

Well....as you know, Mamarazzi is lousy in taking instruction. Here is what happen to our Nyonya Zhang.

 The recipe calls for Melon Candies. Easily found from the local mini market.

Then it required Coriander Powder. Alamak....how ah? Can't find. Hmm...Papa suggested that she buys the Coriander seeds then dry pan fried them before pounding them into powder.

 Pounding...me likey...*pound*pound*pound*

 Don't I look like a little nyonya? 

Uh...this is heavy. The Zhang better be good or else....

Nice or not? I pound punya..

Supposed to use 500gm Pork Scotch Fillet(Cantonese called Mui Yuk) but if Mamarazzi go to the Pasar and ask for 500gm, sure the oink oink vendor laugh. Anyway, this is RM10 of it.

The recipe also calls for 100gm of the Glutinous Rice to be colored blue using blue coloring/Bunga Telang /Blue Pea / Clitoria Ternatea, but Mamarazzi could not find any of these.

Then she got an idea. Ah Mah gave her some Pandan juice. Pandan juice add with a few drop of green coloring should be nice gua. After all the recipe say put Pandan leaves when wrap the Zhang.

 Here are the ingredient readied. Meat was chopped and fried with garlic and shallots

Oppss...another deviation from the recipe. Sifu said don't use rafia string and yet.....

Haiz....if Mamarazzi is in Shaolin temple as an apprentice, surely she would have been "逐出師門" (kicked out). Don't listen to Sifu teaching one. Sure the Sifu vomit blood.

 Jeng! Jeng! Mamarazzi's "Pseudo Nyonya Zhang" after 3 hours of boiling in the pot.

While boiling, our house was fill with nice Pandan aroma.

Look not bad lah. Papa ate one reluctantly. Then he asked for two more. Guess, it means the Zhang is acceptable gua? But he said the glutinous rice was a bit too soft. No need to boil that long. Maybe 2 hours will do.

Mommy Ling pulak said nice. Not too soft.

Haiz...looks like the world is turning upside down lo.....

Anyway, here is the proper recipe from Auntie Shereen's blog, copied with her permission:-

( makes 15 pieces )
Ingredients:

• 500 gm Glutinous rice, washed and soaked for 4 hours, drained, mixed with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil ( take about 100 gm and put a few drops of blue colouring and mix well. You can also use Bunga Telang /Blue Pea / Clitoria Ternatea instead )
• 30 pcs Bamboo leaves and some hemps or cotton string ( do not use raffia string ), soaked overnight, washed and drained
• some Pandan leaves, cut into squares

Filling

• 3 tbsp Oil
• 5 Shallots, chopped
• 4 pips Garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp Pepper
• 500 gm Pork scotch fillet, cut into small chunks and boil in hot water until cooked. Toss in a colander to drain excess liquid and finely chopped.
• 125 gm Candied melon, finely chopped.

Seasoning

• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

• Heat up 3 tbsp oil, saute chopped garlic, shallots, coriander powder and pepper until fragrant. Add chopped pork meat, candied melon and stir-fry until aromatic.
• Add seasoning, mix well and cook until thick. Taste and dish up. Leave to cool.
• Fold bamboo leaf ( you need 2 leaves overlapping with the ends facing opposite direction into a cone and fill with 1 tbsp glutinous rice, make a hole and fill in 1 tbsp of meat filling, top with another 1 tbsp of glutinous rice, 1/2 - 1 tsp of blue coloured glutinous rice and a piece of pandan leaf. Cover and shape into 'chang', tie up with hemps or cotton string.

• Put Nyonya Chang into a deep stock pot, fill stock pot with boiling water until 3/4 full to cover all the dumplings. Cover and bring to boil, lower heat and cook for 3 - 4 hours until cooked and soft.
• Remove and serve hot.

Notes:

• Only 45 minutes is needed if cooking in a pressure cooker.
• You can use chicken meat instead of pork.