Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice Packets

(adapted from here and there)

Not exactly Birkin, Coach or LV .. but far yummier 

It does look like fine leather, doesn't it?

Ever since making my first and last attempt of the glutinous rice dumpling (bacang/chung) wrapped with bamboo leaves, I vowed never again after an agonizing 2 weeks of suffering from a major rash breakout. Who'd have thunk I'd be allergic to the little fine, prickly fuzz on the leaves? 
I'd found some dried lotus leaves tucked away in my pantry from god-knows-when, and decided to use them instead to make these little rice packets. 
The flavor is a little different from the bacangs, a small part of it due to the different types of leaves used, a little less intense. More like Lor Mai Fun ... or is this Lor Mai Fun? Do I know my Chinese dishes or what?

You can prepare this ahead of time. Keep the bundles in the freezer and steam it when you want it.


INGREDIENTS
(makes 4 small-ish packets)

1 cup glutinous rice, washed & soaked for a couple of hours

1 small onion diced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small knob young ginger, julienned

4 -5 medium sized, dried shitake mushrooms, soaked until soft & sliced
1/4 cup dried shrimps, soaked to soften, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup diced char siew / chinese bbq pork
1/8 cup Chinese preserved sausage (lap cheong), diced
1 cup diced chicken meat, marinade with 1/2 tsp white pepper, dash of Chinese rice wine & 1 tsp cornstarch

chopped scallions, for garnish

2 double-layered halves lotus leaves, cut into quarters.
(That means you'll get 4 double-layered quarters)
*Note: The leaves usually come folded in halves. Do not separate the 2 layers. Having a double layer ensures the holes (if any) are plugged up.

Seasoning Ingredients
Mix everything in a bowl:

1/4 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder


METHOD

Drain glutinous rice. Put into rice cooker with 1/2 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook and cool.

While the rice is cooking, saute the dried shrimp in a little oil until fragrant and slightly crispy. Remove from pan.
Heat another tbs of oil in the same pan and saute the chopped garlic, onions and ginger until lightly browned and onions are soft.
Toss in the diced, marinaded chicken and cook until browned.
Stir in the mushrooms, preserved sausage and bbq pork.
Add in the cooked glutinous rice, fluff it out a bit, add in the seasoning mix and stir everything together to combine evenly.
Leave aside while you prepare the lotus leaves.

Put a wide pot of water to boil. Soak the leaves in for about 10 minutes, turning them over if needed.

Remove the softened leaves gently, pat dry and trim off the hard tip as illustrated below. 

Divide the rice into 4 portions. Put one portion onto the lower center of one leaf and wrap according to the diagram, tucking in the end securely.
(*Note: I have come across some suggestions where it's done the opposite of how I wrap this but I've found it easier to tuck in the narrow end. Wrap it any which way you like as long as it doesn't accidentally open up in the midst of steaming. Or tie it with vine if you wish).

Steam packets over high heat for 10 mins.
To serve, make a diagonal cross cut on the top of the packet and fold the flaps outwards. Sprinkle with chopped scallions.
Eat while hot.

Reconstructed Mango Glutinous Rice

Or Mango Jelut.
Before anyone asks, there's no such word as "jelut". It's actually a combination of "jelly" + "pulut". Pulut (pronounced: poo-loot) being the glutinous rice as it's called in the local lingo.

I am calling this a "Reconstructed Mango Glutinous Rice" based on the popular Thai dessert, Khao Niaow Ma Muang. I see a lot of "deconstructed" recipes, so why not flip the other way?
Also, this was inspired by two of my good friends, who were making a whole lot of comments on my posting of the Mango Agar on facebook. One crazy comment led to another and somehow the word "jelut" came about. And the gears in my head started cranking up after a whole week of suffering from the flu.

This would be categorized as a "kuih" by local definition. And I've used the traditional nyonya "Bee Koh" or "Glutinous Rice Kuih" as the base. The top mango bit is a tweak from my mango agar recipe. It's very close to the Seri Muka (another nyonya kuih) so the mango top isn't jelly-like but more towards a firm custard. If you prefer it to be a jelly, just use the recipe for the Mango Coconut Cream Agar as is.


INGREDIENTS
Glutinous Rice layer (adapted from the book Nyonya Flavours)

250 g glutinous rice, washed and soaked overnight
200 g sugar
1/2 tbs liquid glucose (optional) (*see note)
200 ml coconut milk

*Note: the use of liquid glucose apparently makes a springier bite to the kuih. But to me, I feel it's just as springy without it. Your choice. No biggy.


METHOD

Drain soaked rice.
Steam over high heat until cooked. About 30 mins. Take a chew on a grain or two and if you think it's still too hard, steam a little longer.
In a saucepan, stir together sugar, liquid glucose (if using) and coconut milk over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Mix in the cooked rice and keep stirring until thickened. About 20 mins.
Pour into a lightly greased 6" X 6" deep pan. 
Level the top with a spatula and leave aside while you make the top layer.

Alternatively, you can cook the rice in a rice cooker. 1 cup rice to 1/2 cup sweetened, light coconut milk. But this will make a softer, mushier texture.


INGREDIENTS
Mango layer (recipe is enough for 2 portions of glutinous rice portion above unless you make a thicker layer)

1 cup mango puree
3 tbs sugar
200 ml milk
200 ml coconut milk
30 g cornstarch
1/2 tbs agar powder (you can use up to 1 tbs to make a firmer texture)


METHOD

Put together sugar, milk, coconut milk, cornstarch and agar powder in a pot. Whisk until everything's well mixed.
Stir continuously over medium heat until mixture thickens to a paste.
Stir in mango puree and continue to stir over low heat until thick and custardy.
Pour onto glutinous rice layer. 
Cool and refrigerate until set. I left it overnight.

Pumpkin, Roasted Duck Meat Steamed Kuih

When I was a kid, my neighbor (I wonder where they've disappeared to?) used to make a delicious steamed pumpkin kuih (a twist to the steamed taro kuih), similar to this. She'd used pork and not duck. I happened to have some odds and ends pieces of a Chinese roasted duck sitting in the fridge ... too boney for anything and it would be such a waste to toss out. So I salvaged them, peeled and teased the meat and skin out of those bones, diced them up and added to this instead of the usual pork. I thought the amount was rather small and would have loved to have more of it so that the flavors can shine through a little more. 
I saw Sonia's no-meat version and knew I had to make it. (See it here).
The addition of the duck was a spur of the moment madness that turned out quite well. All inventors, musicians and artists have to be slightly mad to succeed ... not too sure about cooks tho.
(Those who have used rendered duck fat to cook ... you know the flavors of heaven).


INGREDIENTS

65 g shredded / finely diced Chinese Roasted Duck meat incl skin (This was all I had. I'd recommend more than this amount. Say, about 100 - 120 g)
200 g pumpkin, diced
250 g rice flour
20 g tapioca starch
450 ml water
70 g dried shrimps, soaked to soften, drained and coarsely chopped
10 shallots, sliced

Seasonings

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp white pepper powder

For garnish

chopped spring onions
chopped red chillies (seeded)



METHOD

Grease a 9.5 " round and 1.5" deep cake tin. (I used a disposable foil tin).
Prepare steamer.
In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca starch and water and stir to a smooth watery batter.
Add in all seasoning ingredients. Mix well.
Heat about 2 tbs spoons of oil in a pan. 
(*Note: I highly recommend a non-stick pan for this).
Saute sliced shallots til golden brown. Add dried shrimp and saute til fragrant.
Dish out half of the mixture for garnishing.
Add in pumpkin to the remaining half in the pan and stir til pumpkin is cooked. 
Stir in diced roasted duck meat.
Lower heat, and pour in batter., stirring quickly and continuously, until it thickens into a paste. (Do not allow it to get too thick, otherwise you'll be chewing rubber)
Pour paste into greased cake pan, level the surface with a spatula and steam over high heat for 50 mins.
Remove and cool before slicing. 
Garnish with the remaining shrimp/shallots mix, chopped spring onions and chopped red chillies.
Serve with a sweet chilli sauce.