This Riceberry Rice Dumpling (zongzi) recipe is a delicious and unique way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.
This post is in collaboration with Floating Leaf.
What is the Dragon Boat Festival?
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is an annual celebration observed in many Asian countries.
The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. In 2023, the Dragon Boat Festival falls on Thursday, June 22.
One of the most cherished traditions during the Dragon Boat Festival is the consumption of zongzi (rice dumplings).
Zongzi are delectable sticky rice parcels wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with a variety of ingredients.
History of Zongzi
The origins of zongzi dates back 2,000 years to ancient China during the Warring States period.
Legend has it poet and government official Qu Yuan, deeply saddened by the political corruption at the time, threw himself into the Miluo River.
He was a well-respected individual by the common people and to prevent fish from eating his body, villagers threw cooked rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river.
This act of reverence for Qu Yuan’s spirit gave birth to the tradition of zongzi.
Today, Dragon Boat Festival not only commemorates Qu Yuan’s life but also serves as an occasion to bring together families and ward off evil spirits.
Using Riceberry Rice
While the traditional zongzi recipe uses sticky glutinous rice, we have created a unique, modern and nutritious version using Riceberry Rice.
Riceberry Rice has become a popular choice internationally for those looking for a nutrient-dense alternative to traditional white rice.
In addition to being rich in antioxidants, this gluten-free grain is high in fiber and bran oil which are known to aid digestion, lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Riceberry Rice is packed with beneficial nutrients including Vitamin E, Tannin, Omega-3, Beta-Carotene and Folate while keeping a low to medium glycemic index.
They are categorized as a whole grain, meaning that the bran and germ have not been milled off.
However, unlike brown rice, it is cooked in the same amount of time as white rice.
For this recipe, we are using Floating Leaf Riceberry Rice which is available from Amazon.ca and EatWildRice.ca.
Ingredients
Servings: ~ 12 rice dumplings
- 1 package (1kg) of Floating Leaf Riceberry Rice
- 1 packet of bamboo leaves, >30 leaves
- 1 lb of pork belly
- 1/2 lb of ground pork
- 1 doz salted duck egg yolks
- 5-10 shiitake mushrooms
- 50 g of peeled mung beans
- 50 g of peeled cooked chestnuts
- 2 pieces of Chinese sausages
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking wine
- 2 tablespoons of sugar (brown, white, or yellow)
Equipment: pressure cooker & string to tie the dumplings
Cooking time: preparation one day ahead (30 minutes), cooking day (2 hours)
Instructions
Preparation
These steps need to be done one night before cooking.
1. Soak Riceberry Rice in water overnight.
2. Soak bamboo leaves in water overnight.
3. Soak mung beans in water overnight.
4. Cut pork belly into 1-inch long x 1/4-inch thin pieces. Mix 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, add pork belly pieces and coat evenly. Marinate it overnight in the fridge.
5. Marinate ground pork in 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cooking wine overnight in the fridge.
Cooking Day
1. Drain water from ice. Flavour rice with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or to taste.
2. Take two bamboo leaves, pat dry with a towel. Place them on top of one and another with about 1 inch offset.
3. Fold the leaves in half lengthwise.
4. Fold the wide end widthwise at the 1-2 inch mark.
5. Spread the long portion of the folded leaves to create a cone.
6. Place a thin layer of Riceberry Rice in the bottom of the cone.
7. Place fillings but make sure to not overfill! You need to leave room to cover the fillings with more Riceberry Rice.
8. Cover the fillings with a thin layer of Riceberry Rice.
9. Fold the leaves over to cover the Riceberry Rice. Make sure to also fold down the top corner so no Riceberry Rice can leak out.
10. Continue to fold the leaves to form a compact package.
11. Tie string around the zongzi to keep leaves tightly wrapped.
12. Tie knots to secure the string, and cut off the excess string.
13. Place wrapped zongzi in a pressure cooker and add sufficient water to completely cover all the zongzi. Use a high-temperature setting if available, cook for 45 mins to 1 hour. Allow the pot to vent naturally.
14. Enjoy your riceberry rice dumpling and Happy Dragon Boat Festival!
