Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings Recipes

STICKY RICE DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons soy sauce until cornstarch dissolves.
• Pour over chopped chicken breasts in a small mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside.
• Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl around, then add the ginger and stir-fry 30 seconds.
• Next, add the chicken.
• As you stir-fry, add 1 tablespoon white wine or stock whenever the wok/pan becomes dry.
• After about 2 minutes (or when chicken is cooked), add the mushrooms and stir-fry another 1 to 2 minutes, or until mushrooms have softened.
• Make the stir-fry sauce: combine fish sauce, brown sugar, 1 piece grated peeled ginger, lime juice, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce
• Add the stir-fry sauce to the wok and turn the heat down to low while you stir it in. Do a taste-test and adjust seasoning as needed. Switch off the heat and set aside to cool.
• Unfold banana leaves. Using scissors, cut one large rectangular piece (approximately 1 foot by 1 1/2 feet). Then cut a smaller piece to go inside (approximately 8- to 10-inch rectangle). The smaller piece is like a lining (banana leaves are naturally porous).
• Bring out the prepared sticky rice. Scoop out enough rice to make a square patty in the center of the 2 banana leaves (the patty should be about 4" square or slightly larger, and about 1/2" thick).
• Now place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken stir-fry filling (or slightly more) over the rice.
• Take another scoop of sticky rice and cover the filling so that it's almost like a sandwich. Sticky rice is easy to work with―if you find there are places where the filling is left uncovered, simply patch these areas with a little more sticky rice.
• Now fold down the top of the banana leaf rectangle over the sticky rice. Holding this in place, bring up the bottom of the rectangle then fold over the sides. Think of wrapping a present or parcel. Use a toothpick, satay stick or some baker's twine to secure your banana leaf packets.
• When ready to eat, heat them up in the oven 15 minutes at 350 F, or you can also microwave or steam them.
• Eat the dumplings out of the banana leaves (the leaf lends the dumpling a delicate, unique fragrance and flavor).

CHINESE STICKY RICE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms for 45 minutes. Then drain them and cut into a small dice. Set aside.
• Meanwhile -- chop the pork and the prawns finely. Do not mince them.
• Mix the pork and prawns with the 3 teaspoons of cornflour, wine and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok and then stir-fry the pork and prawn mixture for about 2 or three minutes.
• Add the remaining filling ingredients, including the mushrooms. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove and cool (overnight works best. Store in the refrigerator until ready to be used.
• FOR THE DUMPLINGS: Dissolve the 1/2 cup sugar and water in a saucepan. Add the glutinous rice flour. You will need to stir vigorously to blend. It is important that this is done energetically and quickly.
• Transfer the dough to a floured board (use rice flour) and knead lightly to a smooth silky dough. Use a very generous amount of rice flour. The dough is very soft and sticky- you cant have too much flour. Any excess flour can be dusted off when the dumpling is completed.
• Shape the dough into a long roll (sausage) and cut it into 24 pieces. Cover the dough with a damp tea-towel.
• Flatten each piece of dough with your hand or use a rolling pin. Form a flat circle about 6 centimetres (roughly 2 inches) in diameter.
• Into each round -place a heaped spoonful of the cooled filling mixture into the centre. Fold the dough over in half (now shaped of a semi-circle) and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat until all 24 dumplings are made.
• TO COOK: Roll each dumpling in sesame seeds and deep fry them in a moderate heat until they turn a golden brown. This should only take a few minutes. The dumplings will float to the top when they are cooked.
• Note- cooking time does not include overnight cooling.