zongzi

Learn how to make these delicious pockets of goodness - a traditional family recipe!

Bamboo Sticky Rice (Zongzi, Joong 咸肉棕)

lb glutinous / sticky rice

pork

bamboo leaves

lb peeled, split mung beans

oz peanuts

oz large dried shrimp

Chinese sausage

mushrooms

cotton string

salt

0.5 tsp five spice powder

tbsp light soy sauce

chicken bouillon

Shaoxing cooking wine

tsp sugar

olive oil

Overview

Prepare pork belly

Cut the pork belly into roughly 1 inch pieces. 

Prepare bamboo leaves

When preparing our dried bamboo leaves, our main goals are to:

Prepare the filling

A few hours before we’re ready to start wrapping and cooking, we’ll wash, soak, chop, and flavor our remaining ingredients.

Assemble the dumplings

Preface: this part is the hardest to describe in written words, so I highly recommend watching our video for this important section.

Boil for 3 hours

Finally, we'll load up a big pot with our joong, and fill it with cold water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mwimImAFwg&&list=PLvd5bo3J-_kq4FcYVCOK6ZR87dCGDqrSH&index=2&t=0s

Our detailed, step-by-step Cantonese-style zongzi recipe (or joong in Cantonese), a traditional Chinese savory sticky rice treat with pork, peanuts, and salted duck egg yolk eaten during the Dragon Boat festival.

Cantonese-Style Zongzi (Rice Dumplings)

leaves

rice

soy sauce ((plus 2 teaspoons))

salt ((plus 1/2 teaspoon))

peanuts

sugar

shaoxing wine

white pepper

water

Chinese sausages

First, soak the leaves overnight. The next day, wash and rinse each leaf front and back, keeping them in a large bowl or tub of water until wrapping time so they don’t dry out.

Soak the sweet rice overnight. The next day, drain completely. Mix the soaked, uncooked rice with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Soak the peanuts overnight. The next day, boil for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside.

In a bowl, toss the pork belly with 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and white pepper. Marinate overnight. The goal of this step is to make the pork belly slightly too salty, because the rice will absorb the excess salt, giving the zongzi its distinctive savory, umami flavor.

The next day, heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook the pork belly for a few minutes before adding the water. Cover the wok with the lid, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is gone. Remove from the wok and let cool.

Cut the egg yolks in half. Cut the sausages into 12 equal pieces. Set aside in separate bowls.

Follow the step-by-step photos to wrap the zongzi. Remember: You must cut away at least half an inch off the bottom of every leaf you use. Make sure the kitchen twine won’t break easily. To do this, it’s best to wet the twine first by soaking it in a bowl of water. It’s best to tie one end of the twine to an anchor point or kitchen fixture (e.g. you kitchen sink), because you will only have one hand to tie the zongzi. Your other hand will be holding the zongzi. Or have someone help you out! If leaves rip anywhere during the wrapping process, you’ll need to start over and discard the ripped leaf. That’s why I call for more leaves than is technically needed. Some of the leaves are bound to rip.

To cook the Zongzi, get a medium-sized pot and neatly nest the zongzi inside, avoiding large gaps. Put a large plate directly on top of the zongzi to weigh them down. Fill the pot with cold water, until the zongzi are submerged. Place the pot on the stove over medium high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat to low/medium-low, and let it simmer for at least 7-8 hours.

The water should be “moving” while simmering, but there should be no large roiling bubbles. You must check the pot fairly often to make sure the zongzi are always submerged in water. Only add boiling water to adjust the water level—do not add room temperature or cold water. Keep a kettle of hot water on the stove so that you’re prepared throughout the 7-8 hour cooking time.

Once the 7-8 hours is up, eat the zongzi while they’re hot! Sweet zongzi can be enjoyed at room temperature, but savory zongzi are really the best when they’re steamy and delicious.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/LjhWtgGH.mp4

Amazing Zongzi-Making in Qian Deng

A dim sum favorite, savory Chinese sticky rice in bamboo leaves.  A hearty meal enclosed in bamboo leaves.

CHINESE STICKY RICE IN BAMBOO LEAVES (ZONGZI 粽子)

100% cotton string (All natural, no color!)

555 g glutinous sweet rice

75 g peeled mung beans

water (for soaking)

tsp salt

453 g Boneless Pork Butt / Shoulder Roast (some fat is needed)

½ tsp pepper

tsp light soy sauce

shrimp

duck

tsp salt (For cooking.)

Wash

Soak

Soak bamboo leaves overnight until supple.

Bamboo leaves

Rinse

Rinse the shitake mushrooms in water and place it in a bowl.

Dried shitake mushrooms

Rinse dried shrimp in water and place it in a bowl.

Add water to just cover the shrimps to rehydrate.

Dried shrimps

Rinse rice and mung beans in a large container.

Add water and allow to soak for 2 hours.  DO NOT OVERSOAK!

Rice mixture

Salted duck eggs

Wrap

Place ⅔ cup rice mixture and wrap leaves according to instruction video.

WRAPPING

Place

Arrange wrapped zongzi into a pot that will hold all the zongzi so that it is securely packed to ensure that no zongzi will come apart.

Add sufficient water to cover all the zongzi.

Boil

Reduce

Reduce heat to a rolling boil and boil for 3 hours.

Add additional BOILING water if water level falls below the top of the zongzi.

Remove

Remove from boiling water and place on a metal rack to cool.

Freeze

BOILING

Jianshui Zong (碱水粽),also known as Lye Water Rice Dumplings, or Alkaline Rice Dumplings, are a Cantonese-style rice dumpling served sweet with sugar or syrup

Jianshui Zong (Alkaline Rice Dumplings - 碱水粽)

dried adzuki beans ((255 grams, 1 ¼ cups))

water ((890 ml))

baking soda

sugar ((100 grams, or to taste))

vegetable oil ((60 ml))

vegetable oil

Kitchen string

Soak the red beans in water for 2 to 3 hours, then rinse off and drain.

Add the soaked red beans, 3 ¾ cups water, and baking soda to a medium pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer until the beans are softened and opened-up (about 30 minutes). Stir periodically to avoid burning.

If you see a lot of liquid remaining even after the beans are softened and have opened up, turn up the heat, remove the lid, and let the liquid cook off. While you’re doing this, watch the beans closely and stir occasionally to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool for a bit before pureeing the cooked beans in a food processor. You can also use an immersion blender, but a food processor will result in a more even puree.

Put the red bean puree in a thick-bottomed pan set over medium-high heat, and cook off the liquid, stirring constantly. This process will take about 25 to 30 minutes. Add the sugar (about 1/2 cup or to taste) early in the cooking process so it has a chance to fully dissolve.

Towards the end of the cooking time, add the ¼ cup of vegetable oil in two batches. The oil will prevent the puree from sticking to the pan too much. The paste is done once it “stays” in place rather than oozing across the pan. Transfer the paste to a dish, and let it cool before storing it in the refrigerator, covered.

The Day Before: Make the Red Bean Paste:

Rinse the sweet rice a couple of times until the water runs clear rather than cloudy. Next, transfer the rice to a large bowl with enough water so that the water line is ½-inch above the rice. Stir in 1½ tablespoons of lye water and ½ tablespoon vegetable oil. Once the lye water hits the fresh water, both the rice and water will turn a light yellow color––that’s normal. Soak the rice, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

In a large basin (or your kitchen sink), soak the bamboo leaves overnight. Weigh the leaves down with something heavy to make sure all of the leaves are submerged.

The Night Before: Soak the Rice and Bamboo Leaves:

Clean each bamboo leaf, front and back, with a clean kitchen towel, shaking off any excess water and trimming off about a half inch of the bamboo leaf at the base (this part is too tough and rigid to handle). Set aside.

Take the soaked rice out of the refrigerator, and drain off all of the liquid. Set it aside.

Take out the red bean paste, and divide it into 15 equal-sized balls.

Now you’re ready to assemble the zongzi! Take two bamboo leaves and follow the steps shown in the photos, tying them off with kitchen string. Each rice dumpling takes about 2 tablespoons of soaked rice and one portion of red bean paste. Just remember not to tie the string too snugly, as the rice will need room to expand during the cooking process. After unwrapping a zongzi, it shouldn’t look like it has been wearing a pair of pants that’s two sizes too small. :)

In a large pot, arrange the zongzi neatly, and fill the pot with water--about 1-inch above the top of the zongzi. Add 1 ½ teaspoon of lye water to the pot, and place a heat-proof bowl or plate on top of everything to weigh down the zongzi. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn the heat to medium to slow cook the zongzi for 2½ hours. Check the water levels periodically, replenishing the pot with boiling water when the waterline falls below the top of zongzi.

After 2 ½ hours, turn off the heat, and take out the zongzi to let them cool. Serve the zongzi at room temperature with sugar or the syrup of your choice!

The Next Day: Making and Cooking the Zongzi:

Learn how to make traditional Chinese sticky rice dumplings filled with savory vegetarian filling. The zongzi can be cooked in an Instant pot pressure cooker or boiled on the stove.

Vegetarian Zongzi/ Sticky Rice Dumplings (Instant Pot or Stove-top)

500 gr glutinous rice

Tbsp cooking oil

Tbsp dark soy sauce

soy sauce

Tbsp mushroom sauce

tsp sesame oil

gr sweet pickled radish (chye poh)

gr dried black fungus (or use dried shiitake mushroom)

five-spice powder

tsp white pepper

Salt

black-eyed peas (or canned beans of your choice)

Kitchen twine or hemp strings

If you are not using pressure cooker to cook, soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours

Soak the black fungus or shiitake mushrooms in warm water. Cut into smaller pieces

Preheat a large skillet. Add cooking oil and stir fry the chye poh until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the mushroom and the seasoning and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Off the heat and let it cool down completely and if you prepare few days before, cover and store it in the fridge

Prepare the filling (can be done a few days before):

Preheat a large skillet. Add cooking oil. Add rice and seasonings and stir fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the heat and transfer to a large bowl and let it cool down

Season the rice:

Generally, you will need about 2 leaves, stacked on top of each other. If you have ragged leaves, you can use another leaf to cover by overlapping them so there won&#39;t be any leakage. Make sure the smooth side of the leaves is facing you

You can refer to the video on how to wrap zongzi. Fold into a cone shape. Fill it up with about 2 Tbsp of rice and use the back of the spoon to pack it in and slightly create a well in the middle for the filling

Add the filling and beans. Top again with more sticky rice, filling up almost 3/4 of the cone. Make sure you really pack it down so the dumpling will be nice and tight later

Fold one side down. Fold the opposite side down. Most people don&#39;t fold the two sides and go straight to folding the top part down (as shown in the next step). But I feel like this helps me to wrap &quot;neater&quot; and shows the triangle shape better

Fold the top part down. Fold in both sides. You&#39;ll have this extra piece on top now. Simply fold it down to either one of the side

Tie with a string. Repeat with the rest of the filling and rice

Wrapping:

Fill up the inner pot halfway with water. Press saute and bring water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Place the zongzi in the inner pot of instant pot. I can cook 12-14 dumplings in my 6-quart instant pot. Top up with more water to make sure it covers the zongzi if necessary

Cover the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press &quot;pressure cooker&quot; and make sure it&#39;s on &quot;high pressure&quot;. Set the timer to 1 hour. Release pressure immediately after that

Carefully open the lid and use a tong to gently remove the zongzi from the pot to a cooling rack. Let the water drips down. The zongzi will still be soft to touch. I recommend waiting 24 hours before eating them

Cooking with a pressure cooker:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Place the zongzi in a large pot. Bring it back to a boil and then cover and lower the heat to let them gently boil for the next 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If the zongzi is large in size you may need 3 hours or so. At the end of cooking time, you can take one out to see if it&#39;s cooked through. If the rice doesn&#39;t stick to the leaves and doesn&#39;t fall apart and the rice holds together nicely, it&#39;s done. If the rice falls apart, you need to boil them longer

Carefully use a tong to gently remove the zongzi from the pot to a cooling rack to let it cool down for 24 hours before eating them. They will still be soft to touch, but will firm up once they are cooled down completely

Boiling on the stove:

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/m9c7XdOR.mp4

Learn how to make Hokkien bak chang in a pressure cooker or with boiling method. Recipe is a no fuss but with same great taste.

Easy Hokkien Bak Chang (Zongzi-Sticky Rice Dumplings)

500 gr glutinous rice / sweet rice / sticky rice

garlic (peeled and finely chopped)

Tbsp dark soy sauce (or use kecap manis)

Tbsp oyster sauce

tsp sugar (omit if you use kecap manis)

chestnuts

sausage

shallot

Tbsp dark soy sauce (you can use kecap manis and omit sugar)

tsp Chinese five-spice powder

tsp sugar (or more to taste)

bamboo leaves (see notes)

Kitchen twine

If you are not using pressure cooker to cook the bak chang, you need to soak the rice for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain off the water after that

Soak the bamboo leaves in water and then discard the water and wipe the leaves dry with clean cloth the next day when you are ready to use them

Place the meat and ingredients for marinade in a large zipper bag or bowl and marinated the meat overnight for best flavor and taste

Soak the dried chestnuts, mushrooms, and dried shrimp in water separately until soft. I just leave them soaking overnight. Remove the red membrane in chestnuts with a toothpick if you see any. Cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces and finely chop the dried shrimp

The day before:

Preheat a pot or Dutch oven. Add cooking oil and stir fry the garlic until fragrant. Add dried shrimp and stir fry for another minute. Add the meat and stir fry until the meat turns color. Add chestnuts and mushrooms. Continue to stir fry until the meat is cooked through Stir to mix everything. Have a taste and add more soy sauce or salt to taste. It should be savory in taste. Stir in the bawang goreng if using. Dish out and set aside

Cook the meat filling the day before:

After soaking the rice (if you are not using a pressure cooker to cook the bak chang), drain all water. Preheat a large wok or skillet. Add cooking oil. Stir fry garlic until really fragrant. Add the rice followed by all the seasonings. Stir fry the rice until it picks up all the seasonings and the rice turns slightly sticky. Remove from the heat and let it cool down before using it to wrap

Stir fry the rice:

Get the rice, the meat filling and the salted egg yolks (if using) ready for wrapping

Generally, you will need about 2 leaves, stacking on top of each other. If you have ragged leaves, you can use another leaf to cover by overlapping them so there won&#039;t be any leakage. Make sure the smooth side of the leaves are facing you

Fold into a cone shape. Fill it up with about 2 Tbsp of rice and use the back of the spoon to pack it in and slightly create an indentation in the middle for the filling

Then add chestnut, mushrooms, sausage, and few pieces of the meat into the cone. Top again with more sticky rice, filling up almost 3/4 of the cone. Make sure you really pack it down so the dumpling will be nice and tight later

Fold one side down. Fold the opposite site down. Most people don&#039;t fold the two sides and go straight to folding the top part down (as shown in the next step). But I feel like this helps me to wrap &quot;neater&quot; and shows the triangle shape better

Fold the top part down. Fold in both sides. You&#039;ll have this extra piece on top now. Simply fold it down to either one of the side

How to wrap zongzi:

Fill up the inner pot halfway with water. Press saute and bring water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Place the bak chang in the inner pot of instant pot. I can cook 12-14 dumplings in my 6-quart instant pot. Top up with more water to make sure it covers the zongzi if necessary

Cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Place the bak chang in a large pot. Bring it back to a boil and then cover and lower the heat to let it gently boil for the next 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If your bak chang is large in size you may need 3 hours or so. At the end of cooking time, you can take one out to see if it&#039;s cooked through. If the rice doesn&#039;t stick to the leaves and doesn&#039;t fall apart and the rice holds together nicely. It&#039;s done. If the rice falls apart, you need to boil them longer

Carefully use a tong to gently remove the bak chang from the pot to a cooling rack to let it cool down for 24 hours before eating them. They will still be soft to touch, but will firm up once they are cooled down completely

If you have leftovers, you can freeze the zongzi in the freezer and it&#039;s good for 6 months. When ready to eat them, you don&#039;t thaw them. They can go straight from the freezer to the steamer with boiling water and steam for about 10 minutes on high heat or until heated through or you can reheat them in a microwave on high on 1 minute increment until heated through

How to store and reheat:

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/7C7veg19.mp4

Learn how to make Hokkien bak chang in a pressure cooker or with boiling method. The recipe is a no fuss but with same great taste. Also sharing how to wrap zongzi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mwimImAFwg&&list=PLvd5bo3J-_kq4FcYVCOK6ZR87dCGDqrSH&index=2

This year I decided to also make my most favorite food ever that my grandma made for me, the awesome and incredible Red Bean Paste Zong Zi 豆沙粽子.  My. Favorite. Food. Ever!

Red Bean Paste Zong Zi Rice Dumpling  紅豆沙粽子

glutinous rice

Top 8 zongzi recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

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Easy Hokkien Bak Chang (Zongzi-Stic...

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Top 8 zongzi recipes from across the web

The most viewed zongzi recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Bamboo Sticky Rice (Zongzi, Joong 咸...

Cantonese-Style Zongzi (Rice Dumpli...

CHINESE STICKY RICE IN BAMBOO LEAVE...

Jianshui Zong (Alkaline Rice Dumpli...

Vegetarian Zongzi/ Sticky Rice Dump...

Easy Hokkien Bak Chang (Zongzi-Stic...

Bamboo Sticky Rice (Zongzi, Joong 咸...

Red Bean Paste Zong Zi Rice Dumplin...

The most viewed zongzi recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine