Bak Chang (Glutinous Rice Dumpling)

Today is the day !...Today is the day for meat !...Today is the Dumpling Festival !

Erh...sounds a bit dramatic , right !?...After a decade longing, finally, I am going learn how to make "Bak Chang" and I am going to inherit my family recipe.  

This is how it looks like....if you happens to go buy "Bak Chang" this will be considered the "Special One"...means "ka liew" or additional of all ingredients.

Well,...wait till I tell you the process.... 

....Two days preparation and cooking ! Gosh...it was a tedious process..preparation, cooking, wrapping, boiling,..and the eating, ..oh...the eating takes 5 minutes !

Preparation
Soak the glutinous rice over night.

Soak the dried mushroom, chestnut and the dried shrimp.

Boil the leafs and wash it piece by piece to get rid of any unwanted foreign ingredient.

Wash the pork belly, cut it into one inch chunk, marinate the pork belly with 3tsp salt, 3tsp pepper, 3tsp five spice, 4tbsp oyster sauce, 3tbsp dark soy sauce, 3tbsp light soy sauce and 2tbsp corn flour, and leave it over night.

Cooking 
Heat up the wok with oil, sauteed the garlic for couple of minutes and then in goes the marinated pork belly. Throw in the chestnuts and mushrooms. Add in some seasonings 3tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, 3tbsp Light Soy Sauce, 2tbsp Oyster Sauce, 2tsp Salt , 2tsp Pepper and 2tsp Five Spice to further enhance the taste. Stir fry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for it to cool off.

Now for the Glutinous Rice, similar cooking process, just the rice and add in the same seasonings and stir fry for 15 minutes. Do add some water if it's too dry. Set aside.

In a small wok, stir fry garlic and dried shrimp for 2 minutes or till fragrant.

Finally, we are ready to wrap !....to eat ?...maybe another 5 or 6 hours !!!

Wrapping
Take two leafs and fold into a cone shape. Add 1tbsp of Glutinous Rice, 2-3pcs Pork Belly, 1/2pc Salted Egg Yolk, 1/2pc Mushroom, 1pc Chestnut, 4-5 Dried Shrimp and fill up with Glutinous Rice. Fold and wrap the leaf to close the gap. Make sure there's no gap. Secure with the string tightly.

You know what is the best part of making your own "Bak Chang" ?

Adding in more of what you want !....More Pork Belly,...More Salted Egg...More Chestnuts or Mushroom.

Cook the "Bak Chang" in large pot of boiling water for about 3.5 hours.   

Two days of tedious process,...it's priceless !

Ingredients (60pcs)
3kg Glutinous Rice (soaked overnight)
2kg Pork Belly (cut into chunks)
30pcs Salted Duck Egg (Yolk only)
300g Chestnut (soaked)
300g Dried Shrimp (soaked)
300g Dried Mushroom (soaked)
400g Bak Chang Leafs (boiled and soaked)
9tbsp Dark Soy
9tbsp Light Soy
8tbsp Oyster Sauce
2tbsp Cornflour
7tsp Five Spice
7tsp Salt 
7tsp Pepper
1 Garlic (chopped)
8tbsp Oil

4lit Water (for boiling the glutinous rice)
500ml Water (for cooking glutinous rice)

Assam Laksa (Kedah Version)

Dunno exactly what to call it,...the Malay version or Kedah Laksa.

The differences...compared to Penang Assam Laksa...it's much sour, whereas, Penang version is on the sweet side. To add to that, they tend to blend the fish into a thick paste.

Check out the Assam Laksa Kedah version !

Prepare the laksa paste; shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, fresh chillies, dried chillies & belachan. Blend together till become paste.

Cut and clean the fish. Bring water to boil, add the fish. Boil for approximately 5min. Remove the fish and let it cool down before you blend it. Boiled the remaining bones again for another 5min. Strain the fish stock into new/clean pot.

Add the laksa paste ingredients, tamarind juice, tamarind peel & polygonum leaves, and boiled for 20min. Then add the fish flake simmer for another 30min. Salt and sugar to taste.

How to serve....add in the laksa noodles and garnish all vegetables on top. Pour the Assam Laksa soup in.

Remember to serve with a spoonful of prawn paste (Har Ko).

Ingredients

100g Shallots
30g Fresh Red Chillies
5g (10) Dried Red Chillies, soaked
30g Galangal

20g Turmeric
20g Stalks Lemongrass
10g Garlic
30g Belachan, toasted
500g Mackerel
2Lit Water
20g Polyganum Leaves (Daun Kesom)
10g Stalks Lemongrass, bruised
100g Tamarind Pulp, soaked in water

10g Tamarind Peel

250g Cucumber, cut into thin strips

100g Lettuces Leaves, cut into thin strips

50g Mint Leaves
50g Ginger Flower, sliced finely
5tbsp Prawn Paste, mixed with hot water
300g Laksa Noodles, scalded
2tsp Salt, or to taste 
2tsp Sugar, or to taste

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice)

Authentic Nyonya-style Nasi Lemak is simply coconut milk rice served with fried anchovies and peanuts, fried tamarind fish or fried tamarind prawn, cucumber, boiled egg and THE SAMBAL BELACHAN. Trust me, nothing is complete without the Sambal Belachan.

There are many version of Nasi Lemak....the coconut milk rice itself varies,....example; the steamed coconut milk rice (Nasi Lemak Kukus) and many different side dishes, some with fried chicken, curry chicken, rendang chicken, curry squid, curry cockles....and the list goes on and on.....depends on what you prefer.

Well,...what I cooked is a mild version. Not so much of coconut milk but I emphasized on the fragrance.

Check out the simple recipe...

Coconut Milk Rice: 
Use one cup of rice, wash and drain a few times till the water is clear.
Add it one onion, one slice ginger, screwpine leaf (Pandan Leaf), a pinch of salt, water and 1/4 of coconut milk (from one grated coconut)
Cook the rice in a steamer till almost dry, sprinkle another 1/4 of coconut milk and mixed the rice well.

Fried Tamarind Prawn:
Use 600g of medium size prawn (to your likings), wash and drain.
Marinate with one handful of (50g) tamarind pulp, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of sugar for 1-2 hours.
Heat up the wok, add in some oil and in goes the prawn.
Fry till aromatic. Some might want it slightly dry and burnt, some preferred still soft and juicy. You choose ! 

Check out the ingredients for Sambal Belachan:

This is my weekend favorite.....try it !