The trick, shares Tan, is to be daring when seasoning the rice and the meat filling. "The rice and meat might taste good on their own when you try it, but sometimes it doesn't taste as good when you put the two together," says Tan. "Don't be afraid of over seasoning; it's ok if the rice and meat taste too salty on their own."
Here is her recipe.
Nonya Kueh Zhang
Makes about 15
Rice:
1 kg glutinous rice
½ cup hot water
¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers or about 12 fresh ones
2 tsp salt
Filling:
500g pork collar
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
140g candied winter melons, small dice
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp tau cheo (fermented soybean paste)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground white pepper
3 pandan leaves, cut into 6-cm pieces
30 dried bamboo leaves, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
oil, for brushing the leaves
Twine or string, for securing the dumplings
Steps:
1. To prepare the rice, place the rice in a large bowl and cover with tap water. Leave to soak overnight.
2. Drain the rice, discarding the water and steam the rice in a steamer for about 20 minutes.
3. Soak the dried or fresh butterfly pea flowers in the hot water. Strain the mix and discard the flowers.
4. Stir in the blue flower water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Use a fork to mix the water into the rice so that the grains are coloured evenly.
5. Return the rice to the steamer and steam for another 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
6. Remove from the steamer and use a fork to stir the oil and the remaining teaspoon of salt through the rice so that the grains are evenly coated. Set aside.
8. Cover the pot with its lid and let the pork poach in the hot water for 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slice off the stems and discard them, and finely dice the caps. Set aside.
10. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove it from its poaching liquid (reserve the liquid for use later) and cut into small dice (about 8mm pieces). Set aside.
11. Heat oil in a wok over a medium flame. Add the garlic to the wok and stir-fry for a minute, until fragrant. Add the tau cheo, mushrooms, dark soy and salt and stir-fry.
12. Then add the pork and winter melon, and two ladles of the pork’s poaching liquid. Simmer for about 7 minutes, or until the liquid almost completely evaporates, stirring occasionally.
13. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add the coriander powder and white pepper. Stir to mix.
14. Remove from the heat and allow the mix to cool completely. You can make this a day or two in advance and keep it in any air-tight container in the refrigerator.
16. Make a cone by folding the leaves in the centre. Place a piece of pandan leaf in the cone and then using wet hands, press the rice into the sides of the cone.
17. Fill with about ¼ cup of the meat filling and press another layer of rice to “seal” in the meat.
19. Place the dumplings in a tray and steam for 20 minutes.
