Loving Home Newsletter

Loving Home rice dumplings show family support

Rice dumplings are a traditional Chinese food with a special meaning. The SHKP Club recently hosted a Loving Home rice dumpling tasting event and a workshop to mark the Dragon Boat festival for close to 100 members and relatives at Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East. Participants learned to make dumplings and were encouraged to prepare the delicacy for their families as a way to show support among family members.

Dumplings of love

The process of making rice dumplings looks simple but when a family makes them together, the special feelings go in with the filling and the dumplings become an extension of a happy family. Workshop participants got cooking tips and sampled dumplings and premium tea prepared by the hotel. Here are two rice dumpling recipes from the Crowne Plaza chefs so you can prepare rice dumplings for Dragon Boat Festival!

Rice dumpling with conpoy, Kurobuta pork and special XO sauce

The rice in this dumpling has a chewy texture and the bamboo leaves give off a very nice fragrance. Adding a salted egg yolk gives a moderate salty flavor and conpoy and dried shrimps bring out the flavour of the black Kurobuta pork for an excellent taste.


Ingredients (serves four)
Thai glutinous rice 500 g
Split mung bean 300 g
Dried shrimps 80 g
Conpoy 60 g
Salted egg yolk 4 pcs
Kurobuta pork belly 120 g
XO sauce 20 g
Five spice powder 5 g
Sand ginger powder 5 g
Large bamboo leaves 500 g
Saltwater grass 20 pcs
Salt 8 g
Chicken powder 8 g
Oil 10 g
Rose wine some

Method:

  1. Soak the bamboo leaves and saltwater grass for 2 hours. Soak the dried shrimps and conpoy in cold water until soft.
  2. Soak the split mung beans for 5 hours and then drain them dry. Add 2 grams of salt, 2 grams of chicken powder and 3 grams of sand ginger powder and mix well.
  3. Drain the glutinous rice after soaking it in the water for 1 hour. Add 3 grams of salt, 3 grams of chicken powder, a small amount of five spice powder and 10 grams of oil. Mix well.
  4. Cut the Kurobuta pork belly into cubes of 30 grams each. Add 3 grams of salt, 3 grams of chicken powder, 2 grams of five spice powder and a small amount of rose wine. Mix well and add 20 grams of XO sauce. Put aside for later use.
  5. Fold the bamboo leaves into a funnel and add a layer of glutinous rice, followed by a layer of split mung beans. Add the salted egg yolk, pork, dried shrimps and conpoy. Cover with a layer of split mung beans and a layer of glutinous rice.
  6. Tie the dumpling and the bamboo leaves securely with saltwater grass.
  7. Boil the dumplings for about 4 ½ hours. Remove from heat and let stand in the water for another 3 hours
Rice dumpling with chestnut and lotus paste

This dumpling uses grain rice from Taiwan as the main ingredient. It also contains sweet chestnut and lotus seed paste as well as glutinous rice for a perfect healthy choice that's sweet and not greasy.


Ingredients (serves four)
Thai glutinous rice 500 g
Grain rice 100 g
Chestnuts 150 g
Lotus seeds 50 g
Large bamboo leaves 500 g
Saltwater grass 20 pcs
Sugar 10 g
Cornstarch 5 g

Method:

  1. Soak the bamboo leaves and saltwater grass in water for 2 hours.
  2. Wash the lotus seeds, drain them dry then steam for 45 minutes. Set aside for later.
  3. Soak the glutinous rice for about ten minutes and the grain rice for 2 hours. Drain dry mix. Set aside for later.
  4. Steam 100 grams chestnuts for 45 minutes and then mix in the lotus seeds. Mash the mixture into paste. Add 10 grams of sugar and 5 grams of cornstarch and mix well. Steam for about 6 minutes and set aside for later.
  5. Dice the remaining chestnuts and then add to the rice mixture. Divide into four portions and set aside for later.
  6. Fold the bamboo leaves into a funnel. Add a layer of the mixed rice. Roll the chestnut lotus seed paste into small balls each of about 30 grams. Put the balls in the middle of the rice then cover with bamboo leaves and tie into a dumpling shape with the saltwater grass.
  7. Boil the dumplings for about 3 hours.
Children cooking with their mothers to improve parent-child relationships
Rice dumpling with conpoy, Kurobuta pork and special XO sauce
Rice dumpling with chestnut and lotus paste
Chef demonstration: Fold the bamboo leaves into a funnel
Chef demonstration: Add ingredients one at a time
Chef demonstration: Cover with bamboo leaves and wrap into a dumpling
Chef demonstration: Tie securely with saltwater grass and boil