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Ingredients and Preparation for Kuih Chang Nyonya

For Wrapping:

• 60–70 bamboo leaves and strings

• 10 pandan leaves

For Glutinous Rice:

• 600 g white glutinous rice

• 300 g blue-colored glutinous rice

• 8 g dried butterfly pea flowers

• 200 ml water

Seasoning for White Glutinous Rice:

• 1 Tbsp white pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp concentrated chicken stock

Seasoning for Blue Glutinous Rice:

• ½ Tbsp white pepper

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ Tbsp concentrated chicken stock

For the Filling:

• 500 g diced big onions or shallots

• 4 Tbsp chopped garlic

• 700 g minced or finely diced belly pork or chicken

• 12 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water

• 1 cup chopped spring onions and parsley (optional)

• 60–100 g diced candied winter melon

Dry Ingredients for Filling:

• 70 g ground coriander

• 15 g five spice powder

• 8 g ground nutmeg

• 15 g ground pepper

Wet Ingredients for Filling:

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp concentrated chicken stock

Notes:

• If using freshly ground spices, adjust the amount as the flavors will be stronger. Consider adding spices like ground cloves and cinnamon for a richer taste.

• Fillings can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.

• For a more fragrant filling, pork lard may be used.

• If you prefer a sweeter filling, add some rock sugar.

• Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed; the flavor should be strong as it will be diluted during the boiling process.

Preparation Steps for Nyonya Kuih Chang

Preparing Bamboo Leaves and Strings

1. Boil bamboo leaves and strings for about 30 minutes.

2. Remove the strings and soak the leaves overnight.

3. Rinse both the strings and leaves thoroughly before use.

Preparing Shiitake Mushrooms

1. Wash and soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water; set aside.

2. Remove the stems from the soaked mushrooms, dice them into small cubes, and set aside.

Preparing Glutinous Rice

1. White Rice: Soak 600 g of white glutinous rice overnight. Drain and set aside.

2. Blue Rice: 

o Boil dried blue pea flowers until the water turns dark blue.

o Soak 300 g of glutinous rice in the blue pea flower water. Add enough water to fully cover the rice and leave overnight.

o Drain the blue rice using a sieve and set aside.

Cooking Glutinous Rice

1. Heat a pan and briefly stir-fry finely chopped onions and garlic. Remove ⅓ of the mixture for later use.

2. Add the soaked white glutinous rice to the pan and stir-fry. Season with white pepper, salt, and concentrated chicken stock. Stir well and set aside.

3. Repeat the same process for the blue glutinous rice, using the remaining onion-garlic mix. Stir-fry briefly and set aside.

Preparing the Filling

1. Dry Ingredients: Pan-fry the dry ingredients (ground coriander, five spice powder, nutmeg, and pepper) for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. Wet Ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients (salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, concentrated chicken stock) in a bowl.

3. Cooking the Filling:

o Heat a pan and add vegetable oil. Sauté diced onions until translucent.

o Add chopped garlic and stir well.

o Add minced pork or chicken and continue frying.

o Pour in mushroom water (from soaked shiitake mushrooms) and stir.

o Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

o Add diced shiitake mushrooms, chopped spring onions, and parsley.

o Stir in the wet ingredients and cook until the meat is fully cooked.

o Add diced candied winter melon and mix well. Adjust seasoning and add more spices or mushroom water if needed. Let the filling cool completely before assembling.

Assembling the Dumplings

1. Take two bamboo leaves and wipe them dry with a cloth.

2. Fold the leaves into a cone shape and layer with white and blue glutinous rice, filling, and a piece of pandan leaf.

3. Compress the mixture tightly into the bamboo leaves and fold into a pyramid shape.

4. Tie the bundle securely with bamboo strings.

Cooking the Dumplings

1. Place the dumplings in a large pot of boiling water and boil over medium heat for 2.5 hours until fully cooked. 

o Alternatively, use a pressure cooker and cook for about 45 minutes.

o Remove one dumpling to test for doneness.

2. Once cooked, remove from the pot and hang to dry or place on a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Notes

• If you're new to making dumplings, start by wrapping smaller ones and progress to larger sizes with practice.

• Prepare extra bamboo leaves, as some may need to be discarded if they have holes or defects. Additional leaves are also useful for practice.

• If you run out of bamboo leaves, you can use ramekins for steaming or wrap the mixture in banana leaves, similar to pulut panggang.

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