Savory Red Beans Meatless Zongzi @ Rice Dumpling 家翁的传统红豆咸粽

I managed to make these dumplings on last Thurday, on Dumpling Festival day ! As hubby & I don't really like meat in our dumplings, so I decided to make my own. Hubby also craving for my father in law homemade dumpling. Its been two years now, since my father in law passing. According to the Chinese tradition, we are not allow to make dumplings or any other new year goodies for the first year after the older family member passing. I am glad its all over now and hubby can finally enjoy the traditional dumpling passing down by his father. I didn't actually learned the recipe from my father in law, its hubby sibling who told me the usage of ingredients. And BINGO !

I made two kilos of glutinous rice that day. One kilo rice without the five spice flavouring and the other one with five spice flavouring. Both hubby and I, neither of us like dark soy sauce rice dumplings. Rice with dark soy sauce normally represent the Hokkien cause its the tradition passing down from their ancestors.

The result is overwhelming ! Love them so much. And here's what I did.

The following recipe is for 20-25 dumplings depend on sizes.

(This ingredient need to be prepared one day before as suggested.)
Ingredients for savory red beans fillings :
300gm  red beans, soaked for 2 hours
water for boiling
1 cup cooking oil
30gm  dried shrimps, soaked
2 TB  chopped garlic
1 tspn  salt
1 tspn  vegetarian granules
1 tspn  5 spice powder

Method : 
(1) wash soaked red beans then drained, place red bean to a big pot then add in water and bring it to boil.
(2) let red bean boil for about 30 minutes over high heat or till soft.
(3) when done, drain red beans and set aside to cool.
(4) now, you may either mashed red bean with hands or gadget to form rough paste
(5) next, drained dried shrimps and preheat a frying pan with cooking oil.
(6) saute garlic and dried shrimps till fragrant then add in red bean paste, stir continuously over low heat.
(7) now, add in 5 spice powder, salt & granules and mix till well cooperated.
(8) then off the heat and leave to cool for storage.

(This ingredient need to be prepared one day before as well)
Ingredients for mushroom & walnut fillings :
150gm   dried chestnut, soaked 2 hours
80gm   dried mushroom, soaked till soft
2 TB  chopped garlic
1 TB  five spice powder
2 tspn  white pepper
5 TB  light soy sauce
5 TB  vegetarian oyster sauce

Method : 
(1) washed walnut a couple of times and discharge skin with toothpick carefully without breaking the nuts. Then boil walnut for 20 minutes over high heat or till soft. And drained.
(2) drain & washed mushroom then diced into pieces.
(3) now, preheat frying pan with 1 cup of cooking oil then saute garlic till fragrant.
(4) next, add in mushroom and walnuts and continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
(5) when ready, stir in the remaining seasoning till well mixed over low heat.
(6) off the heat and leave cool for storage.

Ingredients for glutinous rice :
1 kg   glutinous rice, soaked overnight
1-1/2 tspn  salt
2 tspn   vegetarian granules
2 tspn   five spice powder (omit this for white colour rice)
2 tspn   white pepper
3 TB  garlic oil

Method :  
For rice soaked overnight ~ Drain glutinous rice then stir in all the seasoning and mix well. (Cooking time is 3 hours for small size and 4 hour for medium size)                                          
For rice soaked 2-4 hours ~ Drain glutinous rice then steamed for 30 minutes without adding in any water. Finally when done, stir in all the seasoning and mix well and set aside to cool. (Cooking time is 1 hours 45 minutes for small size and 2 hours 45 minutes for medium size)

Note : Extra oil needed for the rice cause NO meat in this recipe which causing lack of animal fat compare to the common meaty dumplings

You need about 40 pieces of bamboo leaves & a bunch of strings or narrow stalk for binding. Preferably soaked overnight, to maintain the freshness of the leaf itself. Extra leaves needed cause some leaves may not be perfect, you may need to double up the leaf. Clean the leaves one by one with a cloth then drain.

TO ASSEMBLE
(1) fold a piece of bamboo leaf into cone shape.
(2) fill a table spoon of rice then some red bean paste, mushroom, walnuts & salted egg yolk, finally top another 2 table spoon of rice to cover the fillings.
(3) kindly refer here for folding instructions.
(4) when done the folding, secure the dumpling with a string.
(5) now, bring a big pot of water to boil. Then place in dumplings and make sure all dumplings are totally cover with water. Add in extra water every now & then if possible during the cooking stage. Preferably, check the pot every half an hour.
(6) when done, remove dumplings from boiling water and drain to cool.

Note :  Freshly cooked dumplings can be kept in room temperature for at least 24 hours. For durable storage, still the best to keep them refrigerated.

Since the bamboo leaf is limited, I only managed to make one in Hong Kong version wrapping. The HK version needs at least 4 leaves for one wrapping. I personally think its pretty much wasting, so I still go for the common version. >o<

I got about 55 dumplings from my 2 kilos of glutinous rice. I only kept 10 dumplings.for ourselves and gave away most of them. I noticed hubby is very much happy with the dumplings. It brings back a lot of great memories. Hope you guys will love it too ! Enjoy your week ahead everyone & have fun.