Clem's Bak Chang

The Dragon Boat festival fell on 10 June this year (2024) (5th day of the 5th Chinese Lunar Year). There are several legends about of the origin of this festival but one which is well-known surrounds the honouring of the beloved poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the Milou River. Villagers went in boats in the river to try and find the poets body but in vain. In order to prevent the river creatures from devouring the body, the villagers threw in glutinous rice dumplings to tempt the river creatures away from the poet's body. This event apparently evolved into the rowing of dragon boats and the making and consumption of glutinous rice dumplings.

Today, during the festival, glutinous rice dumplings of various shapes and fillings are made to  enjoy. The variations reflect regional and dialect differences in China. I also made some dumplings in honour of the day. They were of the Hokkien version and because I am not good at tying up the packets into the traditional triangles, I made mine shaped in small bowls. In the Hokkien dialect, bak chang means meat dumpling.
 


Clem's Bak Chang

 

Here is how you too can make these bak chang:

 
INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 bak chang

For the meat filling

Marination

  • 500 g pork belly
     

  • 1 teaspoon pepper
     

  • 21.5 teaspoon sugar
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon 5-spice powder
     

Frying

  • 1 cinnamon quill
     

  • 1.5 star anise
     

  • 3 tablespoon chopped garlic
     

  • 2 tablespoon fried red onions
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon 5-spice powder

 

For the mushroom, chestnut and dried prawn filling
 

  • 50 g dried prawns (before washing and soaking)
     

  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
     

  • 2 tablespoons fried red onions
     

  • 60 g hydrated dried shitake mushrooms (after being soaked for some 3 hours)
     

  • 60 g chestnuts
     

  • Some pepper to taste
     

  • 1.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce
     

For the rice

  • 500 g glutinous rice
     

  • 3 tablespoon fried red onions
     

  • 50 g dried prawns (before washing and soaking)
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
     

  • 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
     

  • 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
     

  • 1 teaspoon 5-spice powder
     

  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 June 2024

www.clemkuek.com
 

 

Created by Clem Kuek