Published: by Absolutely Recipes, in the recipes category.

Zongzi Chinese Tamales ( Dz?ŭ?) Recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice), uncooked
1 cup soy sauce, divided
1 TBSP dark soy sauce
1/2 lb pork belly, diced into 2-inch cubes
1 TBSP Chinese cooking wine
1 TBSP ginger, minced
1 TSP sugar
1 TSP salt
1/2 TSP white pepper powder
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup chestnuts (optional)
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
12-18 pieces dry reed leaves (or bamboo leaves)
6 pieces of cooking cotton strings, cut into 20-inch long pieces (for tying the tamales)

Recipe Instructions:

Prepare the glutinous rice.
Soak glutinous rice in water for 3+ hours or overnight.
Drain water and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Transfer the rice to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of soy sauce and dark soy sauce.
Stir until the soy sauce is fully immersed in the rice and the rice is fully coated.
Prepare the pork belly.
In a large bowl, combine pork belly, 1/2 cup soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger, sugar, salt and white pepper powder.
Add in peanut and chestnuts (optional).
Toss to combine.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the shiitake mushrooms.
In another bowl, soak shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 1 hour.
(They will float at first, but will eventually sink to the bottom of the bowl).
Prepare the reed leaves.
Add reed leaves in a pot and add a few cups of water.
Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 20 minutes.
This will make the leaves softer and easier for wrapping.
Leave it soaked in the pot until it cools down and you are ready to wrap, or rinse it under cold water.
Make sure the leaves are damp when you are ready to wrap, for easier handling.

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