How to make chinese sticky rice dumplings

Before you make the rice dumplings, first boil, wash and soak bamboo leaves. This has to be done the night before.

Be sure to soak together with the grass strands.

Also wash shitake mushrooms to remove dirt and soaked them overnight.

Wash chestnuts, soaked for 30 minutes and using a toothpick, remove dirt from the chestnuts. Also soaked overnight in the refrigerator.

Marinade the pork belly and keep it refrigerated overnight. This will make the meat taste more flavourful.

Have ready some red bean paste. These can be homemade or store bought and can be prepared earlier.

You can also finely chop garlic the day before (keep in refrigerator) and fry the sliced shallot. Retain the shallot oil to fry the pork and glutinous rice later.

On the next day when you want to wrap the dumplings, wash the glutinous rice several times until the water runs clear. Leave to soak in water for 1 hour while you prepare to cook other ingredients.

Cut the salted egg yolks in halves.

Soaked dried shrimp in hot water and drained well. Then in a large wok, stir fry the dried shrimp and set aside.

Next briefly stir fry the pre-soaked chestnuts and set aside.

Also stir fry the mushrooms and set aside.

Soak chinese sausage in water for 15 minutes. Using scissors, cut to remove the skin surrounding the sausage and cut into thick pieces. Then briefly stir fry the cut chinese sausage and set aside.

Then in the same wok, sauce chopped garlic till fragrant. Stir fry the marinated pork belly with the chopped garlic and transfer to a large tray.

Sprinkle the marinated pork with some fried shallot and set aside.

Lastly drained well and seasoned the glutinous rice. Then using low heat, briefly stir fry with shallot oil.

Transfer to a tray and sprinkle with some fried shallot. Then set aside. And we're ready to wrap the dumplings!

Gather all the ingredients needed before you start to wrap the rice dumplings.

First select 2 bamboo leaves. Overlap them by 80% of the area. Starting at 1/3 lengthwise from one end, bend the leaves to form a cone making sure the smooth side of leaves is on inside of cone.

Create a well in the cone by filling with 1 tbsp of sticky rice.

Then add a layer consisting of one piece each of shitake mushroom, redbean paste, chestnut, pork belly, salted egg yolk and some dried shrimp.

Lastly, cover with another 2 tbsp of glutinous rice. Press it down gently before wrapping up. Each dumpling is about 200g.

To close the opening, fold over the remaining 2/3 of the leaves.

Cover the top completely and press down to partially cover the sides.

Wrap the edge of the leaves to either left or right side of the rice dumpling. And you're done wrapping it!

Use a grass strand to tie the rice dumpling. Wrap the dumpling with the grass strand twice, each time with an easy knot to ensure no loose ends. And we're ready to cook them!

In a large pot of water, add in salt and bring the water to a boil under high heat.

Then slowly place the dumplings into the water, making sure they are fully submerged. Cover the pot with lid and cook slowly over medium heat for about 3 hours, depending on size.

To check if they are cooked through, unwrap one of the dumplings in the pot, check for doneness and taste it.

Once the rice dumplings are cooked through, remove from the pot immediately, hang it up and leave it to air dry for at least 1 hour. And we're done!

Enjoy the rice dumpling while it's hot, with chinese tea. For more updates, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/huangskitchen Also watch and subscribe to our channel at http://youtu.be/hWgp-fwHNmY