Taiwanese Zongzi Food

CANTONESE-STYLE ZONGZI (RICE DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• First, soak the leaves overnight. The next day, wash and rinse each leaf front and back, keeping them in a large bowl or tub of water until wrapping time so they don't dry out.
• Soak the sweet rice overnight. The next day, drain completely. Mix the soaked, uncooked rice with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Soak the peanuts overnight. The next day, boil for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside.
• In a bowl, toss the pork belly with 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and white pepper. Marinate overnight. The goal of this step is to make the pork belly slightly too salty, because the rice will absorb the excess salt, giving the zongzi its distinctive savory, umami flavor.
• The next day, heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook the pork belly for a few minutes before adding the water. Cover the wok with the lid, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is gone. Remove from the wok and let cool.
• Cut the egg yolks in half. Cut the sausages into 12 equal pieces. Set aside in separate bowls.
• Follow the step-by-step photos to wrap the zongzi. Remember: You must cut away at least half an inch off the bottom of every leaf you use. Make sure the kitchen twine won't break easily. To do this, it's best to wet the twine first by soaking it in a bowl of water. It's best to tie one end of the twine to an anchor point or kitchen fixture (e.g. you kitchen sink), because you will only have one hand to tie the zongzi. Your other hand will be holding the zongzi. Or have someone help you out! If leaves rip anywhere during the wrapping process, you'll need to start over and discard the ripped leaf. That's why I call for more leaves than is technically needed. Some of the leaves are bound to rip.
• To cook the Zongzi, get a medium-sized pot and neatly nest the zongzi inside, avoiding large gaps. Put a large plate directly on top of the zongzi to weigh them down. Fill the pot with cold water, until the zongzi are submerged. Place the pot on the stove over medium high heat. Once the water boils, turn the heat to low/medium-low, and let it simmer for at least 7-8 hours.
• The water should be "moving" while simmering, but there should be no large roiling bubbles. You must check the pot fairly often to make sure the zongzi are always submerged in water. Only add boiling water to adjust the water level-do not add room temperature or cold water. Keep a kettle of hot water on the stove so that you're prepared throughout the 7-8 hour cooking time.
• Once the 7-8 hours is up, eat the zongzi while they're hot! Sweet zongzi can be enjoyed at room temperature, but savory zongzi are really the best when they're steamy and delicious.

INSTANT POT ZONGZI (JOONG)

Steps:

• Put the bamboo leaves in a large stockpot and cover with 2 inches slightly warm water. Feel free to fold moist leaves in half. Place a heavy dinner plate directly on top to fully submerge the leaves. Soak until the leaves are dark green and very pliable, 10 to 24 hours. (The water may darken during soaking.) Drain the bamboo leaves in a large colander. Fill the stockpot halfway with fresh water.
• Thoroughly wipe both sides of each leaf with a clean sponge or dish cloth, then rinse under running water. Stack them in a pile and return to the stockpot. Always top with a clean plate to fully submerge the leaves in the water. (The leaves can be kept submerged in the fresh water for up to 2 days).
• Whisk together the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and five-spice power in a small bowl until well combined. Add the pork belly and turn until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours. Remove the pork belly from the fridge 1 hour before assembling the zongzi.
• Rinse the rice under water in a large bowl until the water runs clear, 4 to 5 times. Cover with at least 2 inches water and soak for 2 hours. Rinse the mung beans in a medium bowl until the color of the beans lightens, 3 to 4 times. Cover with at least 1 inch water and soak for 2 hours. Cover the shiitakes with at least 1 inch water in another medium bowl and soak until squishy and filled with water, about 2 hours. Put the peanuts and dried shrimp in separate small bowls; cover each with at least 1/2 inch water and soak for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, slice the sausage on the bias into 8 even slices and split the egg yolks in half. Set aside in two separate bowls.
• Drain the shiitakes and wipe out the bowl. Using kitchen shears and a paring knife, remove the hard stems and discard. Cut each mushroom into 4 slices; return to the bowl. Drain the peanuts, shake to remove the excess water and return to the bowl. Repeat with the dried shrimp; roughly chop any that are larger. Set the 3 bowls aside.
• Drain the rice in a large fine-mesh strainer, shake to remove the excess water and return to the bowl; add 2 teaspoons salt with the oil and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Drain the mung beans in the large fine-mesh strainer, shake to remove the excess water and return to the bowl; add 1 teaspoon salt and stir with the rubber spatula until well combined. Set both bowls aside.
• Now it's time to assemble the zongzi: Take 2 bamboo leaves that are about the same size and shake off the excess water; lightly pat dry. Stack them shiny-sides up, slightly overlapping the leaves lengthwise. Gently fold into a cone (do not make a hard crease, which will crack the leaves) at the midpoint of the stack, with the longer ends pointing up.
• Hold the cone with the leaf tips pointing toward you. Fill the pocket with 3 leveled tablespoons rice and 2 leveled tablespoons mung beans. Use a rubber spatula to pat down and level the surface of the filling. Add 4 to 6 peanuts, 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, half salted egg yolk, 1 piece of Chinese sausage, 2 pieces of shiitake, 1 piece of pork belly, then another 4 to 6 peanuts, 2 tablespoons mung beans and 3 tablespoons rice. The pocket will be very full. Use the rubber spatula to push down and level the surface of the filling along the length of your palm. Grip the middle of the cone, forming the letter "C" with your dominant hand. Tap the cone once or twice on a cutting board to help the filling settle to the bottom, never letting go of the C-grip. (It's fine if a little water starts to leak out--that's from the soaked mushrooms and rice.) With the opening facing you, fold the protruding leaf ends over to neatly enclose the rice dumpling. Use both hands to shape the cone into a pyramid with the tip at the bottom and the base at the top. Grip tightly and prepare to tie.
• Using your nondominant thumb, hold 1 piece of the butcher's twine against the ends that are folded over, leaving about 6 inches of twine dangling on one side. Make several loops widthwise around the zongzi traveling down its length. Be sure to pull the twine tightly as you loop to prevent the rice from spilling out during cooking. Then make a double knot with the 6-inch length that was dangling. Use this knot to transition and loop around the zongzi lengthwise, then double knot the two ends of the twine. Cut off the excess twine and trim any extra bits of leaves. Practice makes perfect! The first one is going to look rough, but it will get better. Repeat with the remaining bamboo leaves, fillings and twine.
• Place the zongzi in a 6- to 8-quart Instant Pot®. Fill with enough water to leave 2 inches of space from the maximum fill line. Set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour (see Cook's Note). After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for natural release and wait until the natural release cycle is complete. Set to keep warm for 1 hour.
• Using tongs, carefully remove the zongzi to a plate and let cool slightly. (It's fine if the corners of the zongzi release a little bit of rice.) Using kitchen shears, cut off the twine and remove the bamboo leaves, if desired. Transfer to a dinner plate and serve as is or with additional light soy sauce. Enjoy!
• To store extras, once the rice dumplings are completely cooled, refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat: Place on a steamer rack in a large saucepan, cover and steam for 15 minutes from the refrigerator; 30 minutes from frozen.