My mother usually prepared three types of rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival and she had to spend three days to complete this annual task. On the first day, she prepared the Kiam Bak Chung (Salty Meat Rice Dumpling) and followed by the Pua Kiam Tee Chungs (Sweet and salty Rice dumpling). On the third day, the Kee Chung (an alkaline rice dumpling, which is normally eaten with honey or syrup) were specially prepared as an alter offering to the gods, especially the Kitchen God, who seems to have a sweet tooth. Mother believed the Kitchen God makes an annual report of all happenings in the household to the higher hierarchy in heavens and she made sure that he is always offered the best sweets on feast days. I often wonder, is there a more ingenious or ingenuous way to sweeten his mouth while reporting on the family?
Although Kee Chung is the gods favourite, but we mortals, would rather prefer Mother’s Pua Kiam Tee aka Nonya rice dumplings as our favourite.
Nonya Rice Dimplings aka Pua Kiam Tee Chung Recipe:
Ingredients
500g glutinous rice
1 tbsp pandan essence to provide green colour and flavour (normally the indigo blue colour is extracted from the butterfly pea flower is used in this recipe.)
2 tbsp cooking oil.
Seasoning:
1 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp coriander powder
8 cloves of grounded garlic
1 tbsp galangal powder
350g mince pork
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
150g candied winter melon (tung kwa) coarsely chopped
100g roasted peanut coarsely chopped.
30 dried bamboo leaves, soaked till pliable
Hemp strings
2 pandan leaves cut into 3cm length.
Soak the 350g glutinous rice overnight in water. In a separate stainless steel bowl, soak 150 with water and add pandan essence, overnight. Heat oil in a wok and fry seasonings till fragrant. Add minced pork and fry well. Stir in candied melon, peanuts until well mixed. Set aside to cool. Depending on the size of the bamboo leaf, fold one or two leaves in to a cone as shown in drawing. Fill the cone with one tablespoon of glutinous and 1 teaspoon of pandan green-coloured glutinous rice. Add 1 tablespoon of fillings and covered with another 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice. Top with a piece of pandan leaf. Wrap dumpling into a pyramid shape as shown in drawings and tie securely with hemp string.
In a large stock port, bring water into a rapid boil just before putting the dumplings to boil for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until cooked. Keep an eye on the water level by topping up the water in pot with hot water during the cooking process. Remove dumplings when cooked and hang to cool and dry.
