Recipe: Nyonya Chang (Nyonya Rice Dumpling)

With online shopping these days, you can find all your ingredients for making rice dumplings in one place. My favourite dried goods shop, Great Ocean Dried Seafood, even came up with a ready pack Nyonya dumpling set which comes with all the dried ingredients needed to make the Nyonya chang (ie glutinous rice, dried shrimp, tea flower dried mushroom, coriander seed, white pepper, blue pea flower, winter melon, bamboo leaves and cotton rope). So convenient! You can buy it here: https://shope.ee/L8RAR7htA

There is quite a lot of work involved in making rice dumplings, so I highly recommend doing the prep one day ahead so you can concentrate on the wrapping the following day. I've listed out the tasks according to days below to help with the preparation.

Hope you all enjoy your rice dumplings this Duan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival)! Wish you good health 端午安康 (Duān wǔ ān kāng) on this day.

Makes 12-18 Nyonya chang (depending on size)

1 pack Nyonya dumpling set from @greatoceandriedseafood

For the pork filling
500g minced pork
100g shallots, finely chopped
25g garlic, minced

Pork seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp taucu
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp white pepper

Day 1
1. Soak bamboo leaves in cold water for at least 12 hours.

2. Toast coriander seeds for 15 mins in hot pan, then grind to fine powder using a spice grinder pestle an mortar.

3. Soak dried shrimp and mushroom for 3 hrs, then roughly chop.

4. Roughly chop candied winter melon.

5. Heat 4 tbsp cooking oil. Sauté garlic and shallots for 3-4 mins, then brown pork. Add dried shrimp, mushroom, winter melon, 7 tbsp coriander powder and seasoning. Cook for 8-10 mins. Cool then store in fridge.

6. Soak blue pea flower in 1.5 cup hot water for 15 mins. Remove flowers and pour in 200g glutinous rice. Soak overnight.

7. Place 600g glutinous rice with 1 tsp salt in large bowl with cold water and soak overnight.

Day 2
1. Clean bamboo leaves.

2. Drain water from both rice.

3. Sauté 2 shallots (sliced) in 1/2 cup oil.

4. Mix 2tbsp shallot oil with blue rice along with 1/4 tsp salt.

5. Place white glutinous rice in wok with shallot oil and 1.5 tsp salt and sauté for 3-4 mins.

6. Measure out 1.1m length of cotton rope and cut. You will need approx. 12-18 of these, depending on how many you will be making. Hang them up at eye level, (I tie mine to my grille) in preparation for wrapping/tying later.

7. Use 2 leaves to form a cone. Fill with 1 tbsp blue rice, 2 tbsp pork filling and 1-2 tbsp white rice, leaving a small space at the top. Seal and tie securely with cotton rope. (There are many YouTube videos you can watch to learn how to wrap your rice dumplings).

8. Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 tbsp salt and several knotted pandan leaves. Gently lower Nyonya chang in and simmer over low heat for 3 hours.

9. Remove and place on wire rack to dry and cool down. Once cooled, you can place them in the fridge. You can also store them in the freezer for up to a month.  

10. Before eating, reheat by steaming over high heat for 10 mins.

Buy link: https://shope.ee/L8RAR7htA