Rice dumplings - grandma's recipe

Grandma's Nonya Chang

What goes into the filling

Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked, rinsed, diced

Coriander Powder, along with five-spicce powder and white pepper powder

Fried Shallots
Ready-made ones make the job easier

Candied Wintermelon, diced

Fry diced pork (belly pork &' shoulder butt') and add the above ingredients.
 Add dark soya sauce, fry till fragrant

Filling is done

Preparing the rice 

Glutinous rice, soaked overnight and drained

Garlic fried in oil till fragrant
Add to rice in wok and fry. Add salt.

The workstation

To prepare the bamboo leaves,
scald them with hot water, and leave to soak overnight, then drain.
No need to wipe dry

The wrapping

Boil for 1hr 5min over high heat in a covered

Grandma's signature plaits

Nonya dumplings

Below is a recipe I read - it yields 30 dumplings and is useful as a buying guide.

Makes 30

Ingredients:
60 bamboo leaves (soaked overnight)
1 kg glutinous rice (washed and soaked overnight, then drain in a colander)
0.5 tsp five spice powder *
1 tsp coriander powder *
0.5 tsp white pepper *
Pinch of salt *
(*to mix into drained rice)


For the filling, to fry for 15 min:
2 tbs cooking oil
300g shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1kg minced pork
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp white pepper
400g dried shrimp, rinsed and drained
500g winter melon strips, diced to small cubes
0.5 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp coriander powder

Additional filling:
30 chestnuts, boiled and skinned
100g shitake mushrooms, washed, soaked, sliced
400g red bean paste, rolled into 30 small balls

Raffia string
6 to 8 pandan leaves (for boiling in pot)


Amount to fill per dumpling:
1tbs rice + 1tbs filling + 7 mushroom slices + 1 chestnut + 1 ball of red bean paste + 1 tbs filling + 1 tbs rice


Boiling time : 1 hr + 1 hr (shift dumplings position halfway through the 2 hrs)