Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Happy Dumplings Festival

Tried to make some dumplings or 'Bak Chang' last 2 weeks but my first attempt failed. Not because the taste of the Bak Chang but is because I don't know how to wrapped the dumpling into triangular shape. Get my SIFU to teach me I mean my dearie hubby but still very hard to do. Really want to surrender cos it is just so hard to wrapped the dumplings. Dearie Suki keep nagging me and say why I so stupid and don't even know how to wrapped the dumpling. Finally get about 26 dumplings but during the process of boiling lost 8 of the dumplings because I didn't tie tight enough. End up only left 18 dumplings.

I give up and told dearie Suki that I am not going to make any dumplings and hoping my mother in-law or my aunty will give some to me. Surprisingly no one give me any dumplings to eat so last Saturday go for 2nd attempt to make Bak Chang again. I just crave for it.

I am doing it alone this round and I am real slow in wrapping the dumplings. It takes 3 hours from 4 pm - 7 pm to wrapped 36 dumplings. Wow... real tedious. When putting in the dumplings into the hot boiling water I was hoping none of the dumpling will become loose. Boiled the dumplings for almost 4 hours under charcoal fire and finally it is done.


I pray hard that I won't loose any of it and take out all the dumplings from the boiling water and counted again. Hooray...... all 36 Bak Chang still nicely intact. I am so happy that I finally done it but the triangular shape is still not as nice as dearie Suki dumplings. Well nothing going to stop me from learning.





The ingredients for the Bak Chang you need : Pork, Chesnuts, Dried Prawns, Mung Beans, Mushroom, Dried Oysters, Lap Cheong and Glutinous Rice.


As for the pork, you've got to fried the pork with dried prawns, onion and garlic till fragrant. Then add in seasoning ingredients like salt, sugar, oyster sauce and dark soya sauce. Then the add in the chesnuts. Add some water and boil till the chesnut is a bit of soft.

For the rice, sautee some onion till fragrant the add in the rice and mung beans. Mixed well and add in the seasoning. I've also added in some 5 Spice Powder into the rice. Then it is all ready to be wrapped.


After wrapping is done, boil the dumplings for 4 hours in hot boiling water.


Hooray... It is ready to be enjoy by the whole family.


Results ----: Very Satisfied with myself.

Today is the 'Chang festival' and I have prayers at home. Just cook a few simple dishes to offer to the altar at home. My Ah Mah's always advice me when we have our own family make sure we celebrate all the Chinese traditional festival in order for our kids to inherite down the culture. Well what she say is true if we don't do it now the future kids will not know anything about the Chinese traditional festive.
This is my menu for today dinner :






It is 'Chang Festival' today and wish all of you Happy Dumpling Festival.

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5 comments:

tankiasu said...

How I wish my mum knows how to made bak changs. Yea, strangely my family didn't even celebrate it. Hmm...

Blur Mommy said...

Oooo... ur chang looks very yummy. Great job!! Can send some over ar??? I miss chang! : (
Thanks for ur tag. Sorry it's taking so long. Will try to do it this wk.: )

Pearls said...

Your write up about chang has inspired me to make some of it myself. Yup, I do know how to make but I just too lazy and bothered with tradition to make. Afterall, I am no big fan of chang. However, your write up has nudge to make some for the fun of it and I shall do just that this weekend.

snoopy said...

Hey, next time, try to steam it. All you need to do is make sure all the ingredients are cook. And for the rice, just cook/fried with the soup from the pork. Only take 45 minutes.

Jen said...

Hokkien Chinese here in Manila don't celebrate the Chang festival. Too bad. I also wish for my daughter to know all our Chinese customs and traditions.