Chinese wrapped rice cakes or Bak Chang

Ingredients:

• 1000g glutinous rice, soaked overnight then washed and drained well
• Bamboo leaves and raffia string for wrapping

Filling:

• 400g belly pork (remove skin) or deboned chicken meat
• 150g dried mushrooms
• 200g dried chestnuts - soak in boiling water, discard the impurities then boil until soft; drain away the water
• 10 salted egg yolks
• 100g dried prawns - soak in warm water, remove the impurities then chop into small pieces.
• 100g split green peas - soak overnight, drain and add a pinch of salt and mix well
• 2 tsp chicken stock granules

Seasoning:

• 2 tbsp Chinese Five Spice powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 3 tsp dark soya sauce
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic - chopped finely
• 6 shallots - sliced thinly

Steps:

1. Soak bamboo leaves in boiling water overnight. Clean and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

2. Heat oil and sauté shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add pork or chicken meat, dried prawns, chestnuts, mushrooms and seasoning. Stir well. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp chicken stock granules. When pork is cooked, switch off fire and dish out filling ingredients.

3. Mix glutinous rice with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp five spice powder, 1 tbsp dark soya sauce and 1 tsp salt. Stir thoroughly. Heat kuali and stir-fry seasoned glutinous rice till heated through. Remove to a big basin and stir in split green peas. Mix well.

4. Take two bamboo leaves, make them overlap slightly and fold into a conical shape. Put 1 tbsp rice into the funnel base. Add 1 tbsp filling and a piece of salted egg yolk. Cover with some more rice. Fold leaves over rice to form a triangular prism. Tie with raffia string.

5. Boil a large pot of water and add 2-3 tsp salt. Drop the bundles of dumplings in and boil for 1 1/2 - 2 hours over medium slow fire. Top constantly with boiling water to maintain level of water at all times. When cooked, remove the dumplings and hang to dry.