Nyonya Meat Dumpling

Rice Dumpling Festival or Duan Wu Jie is just around the corner; to be exact tomorrow will be D day. Initially this year I had decided not to make dumplings but after much thoughts of it, I decided to make the dumplings. How can we celebrate Duan Wu Jie without eating dumplings rite? So, after looking and browsing thru the recipe book, I had decided to try my hands on Nyonya Meat Dumpling. There's a significant difference between the Chinese Dumpling and Nyonya Dumpling where there is a striking blueish colour in the Nyonya Dumpling.

Nyonya Dumpling originated from the Baba Nyonya in Melaka. The Baba Nyonya are a group of minority Chinese in Malaysia where their origins can be traced back to centuries ago when the Chinese emigrated from China to the British Straits Settlement of Melaka, Singapore, Penang and also Java of Indonesia. The Chinese then married the local females and their distinct background, cultures and customs blended together harmoniously and became Baba Nyonya.

The dumplings need to be boiled for around 2 1/2 hours

Feasting time... Hot steamed dumplings are ready...

See the blue colour - so striking

The fillings inside - chunks of meats which are sweet and aromatic

Can you see how matching the dumpling colour with the background? Seeing rainbow here.. :)

Ingredients

(A)

1 kg glutinous rice - soaked overnight

1/2 tsp blue colouring

80ml oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper powder

2 tsp chicken stock

(B) Filling

500 g belly pork - cut into 1/2 inch cubes

100g candied winter melon - chopped coarsely

5 cloves garlic - chopped

5 shallots - chopped

3 tbsp coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

4 tbsp oil

pandan leaves - cut into 2 1/2 inch length

(C)

Bamboo leaves, boiled to soften

Hemp string, boiled to soften

Methods

1. Prepare rice: Take out 200g glutinous rice and mix with blue colouring. Mix the rest of the rice with oil, salt, pepper and chicken stock.
2. To prepare filling: Heat oil, fry chopped shallots and garlic till fragrant, add belly pork and chopped winter melon. Stir fry for 5 minutes, add seasoning and mix well.
3. To prepare dumpling: Fold 2 pieces bamboo leaves into cone shape, fill cone with 1 1/2 tbsp glutinous rice, 2 tbsp filling and top up with 1 tbsp glutinous rice and 1/2 tbsp blue rice, place 2 pieces pandan leaves on top. Wrap and secure with hemp string. Boil into plenty water over high heat for 1 hour, reduce heat and boil for further 1 1/2 hours.

Note:

1) The original recipes has used butterfly pea flower to prepare the blue colouring.
2) I will suggest to add an extra 1 tsp chicken stock and 1/4 tsp salt for the 800g rice coz I felt the taste of the rice is not flavourful enough.