Traditional Chinese sticky rice dumplings wrapped in fragrant bamboo leaves and filled with seasoned mung beans, pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, peanuts and Chinese sausage. These hearty dumplings are steamed or boiled until the rice becomes soft and sticky.
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Serves: 8–10
Cuisine: Chinese
Course: Main Dish
Tags: Zong Zi · Glutinous Rice · Chinese Recipes · Sticky Rice · Bamboo Leaves · Traditional Recipes
Ingredients
For the Zong Zi
- 1kg white glutinous rice
- 500g peeled split mung beans
- 200g dried bamboo leaves
For the Filling
- 350g pork belly, cut into 2cm chunks
- 20 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and cut into 3–4 slices
- 150g unsalted peanuts with skin on
- 4 Chinese sausages, sliced
- Chestnuts, optional
For the Glutinous Rice
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the Mung Beans
- 1 tbsp salt
Method
1. Marinate the pork
Place the pork belly in a bowl and marinate with your preferred seasoning.
Set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the rice and mung beans
Rinse the glutinous rice and mung beans separately 3–4 times, until the water runs clear.
Soak both in cold water for 1 hour.
Drain well.
Season the glutinous rice with salt, sugar and vegetable oil.
Season the mung beans with salt.
Mix each separately until evenly coated.
3. Prepare the bamboo leaves
Wash the bamboo leaves and soak them in water for 30 minutes.
Drain the leaves.
Place them in a large pot and cover completely with cold water.
Bring slowly to the boil over low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
This helps sterilise and soften the leaves.
Drain the water, wash the leaves again and set aside.
4. Assemble the dumplings
Place two bamboo leaves together with the smooth sides facing upwards.
Fold the bottom of the leaves upwards to form a cone.
Add 2 tbsp seasoned glutinous rice into the cone and flatten it slightly.
Add 1 tbsp seasoned mung beans.
Add the filling:
- 2 pieces of pork belly
- 4 pieces of shiitake mushroom
- 1 chestnut, if using
- 4 slices of Chinese sausage
Cover the filling with another 1 tbsp mung beans, followed by 1 tbsp glutinous rice.
5. Wrap the dumplings
Place another bamboo leaf over the top of the filling.
Fold the leaves down around the rice to completely enclose the dumpling.
Wrap bamboo string around the packet 7–8 times and double-tie securely.
Repeat until all the dumplings have been assembled.
6. Cook the Zong Zi
Place the wrapped dumplings into a large pot.
Pour in enough hot water to completely cover the dumplings.
Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for approximately 3 hours.
Check occasionally and add more hot water if necessary to keep the dumplings submerged.
7. Serve
Remove the dumplings from the pot and allow them to cool slightly.
Carefully unwrap the bamboo leaves and serve warm.
Notes
- Soak the rice and mung beans separately: This ensures both ingredients are properly hydrated before wrapping.
- Prepare the bamboo leaves carefully: Boiling them before use helps clean and soften the leaves, making them easier to fold.
- Keep the dumplings submerged: The Zong Zi should remain covered with water throughout cooking.
- Do not overfill: Leave enough space for the rice to expand during cooking.
- Filling variations: The filling can be adapted with different combinations of pork, mushrooms, peanuts, chestnuts and Chinese sausage.
