If you love dumpling recipes, you’ll surely love this different take on your typical dumplings. This zongzi recipe is a sticky rice filled dumpling mixed with pork belly, red beans, salted egg yolks, mung beans, and dried scallops. All these flavorful ingredients are wrapped in bamboo leaves to finish the traditional zongzi look.
What Is Zongzi Or Chinese Sticky Rice Dumpling?
If you have ever had tamale or lo mai gai, zongzi is similar to them, but with a few differences in cooking steps and ingredients. Zongzi (粽子), also known as Chinese sticky rice dumpling, is a bamboo leaf-wrapped dumpling filled with sticky rice and various flavoring ingredients.
Traditionally, zongzi is eaten during the famous Dragon Boat Festival, which is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar.
The traditional way of making zongzi can take more than a day since it involves marinating and soaking the ingredients overnight, as well as boiling the assembled dumpling in water for hours.
However, my version of zongzi is more straightforward and quicker since it does not require overnight marination and calls for cooking in a pressure cooker for faster cooking time.
In this recipe, the flavoring ingredients combined with the glutinous rice are marinated pork belly, soaked red beans, fresh salted egg yolks, peeled mung beans, and dried scallops.
Once the flavoring ingredients are seasoned and ready, all you need to do is assemble them in the bamboo leaves.
Wrapping the ingredients and tying the bamboo leaves can be a bit tricky, but do not fret since I have written the detailed instructions below with pictures and a video tutorial. As long as you follow my instructions and tips below, you will be making zongzi the correct way.
Try these tasty sticky rice recipes if you love anything sticky and gooey:
- Fried Sticky Rice (Stir-Fried Chinese Sticky Rice)
- Lo Mai Gai (Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice Chicken)
- Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
- Tang Yuan (Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls)
- Ham Sui Gok 咸水角 (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
- Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Rice Cake)
What Ingredients To Put In Your Zongzi?
Technically, you can put any of your favorite ingredients in zongzi. However, just don’t replace glutinous rice or sticky rice since this is the primary ingredient.
Check out the ingredient tips and alternatives below:
- Glutinous rice: I used about 1500g of glutinous rice, but you can lessen it if you prefer to make a smaller batch. You can find glutinous rice as sticky rice, sushi rice, or sweet rice. You will love the sticky or glue-like texture of glutinous rice when cooked. Don’t worry, it does not contain gluten. The name “glutinous” is because of its glue-like texture. You can easily buy this in Asian grocery stores, the international section of local grocery stores, or on Amazon. In this recipe, I only washed and drained the rice, but you can soak it overnight if you like.
- Pork belly: The main meat I used is 2 kilos of pork belly. You don’t need to fry the pork belly; just marinate for 3 hours or more. You will need salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese Five Spice Powder, and chicken bouillon powder for the marinade. Although you can replace it with other pork cuts, it won’t be the same as pork belly because of the fats. The fat of the pork belly melts in the glutinous rice, giving it a rich and savory taste. If using other pork cuts, I suggest mixing it with pork belly to still have similar results. Make sure the pork is cut into bite-size pieces since you need this to fit in the cone-shaped bamboo leaves. If you want to try other options for your main meat, here are some suggestions:
- Boneless chicken or duck meat
- Chinese dried cured ham
- Chinese-style roast pork
- Chinese sausage(lap cheong)
- Chinese BBQ meats
- Luncheon meat or Spam
- Non meat: Fried tofu cubes and dried shiitake mushrooms
- Red beans: You will need about 250g of red beans. It should be soaked overnight before mixing it with the glutinous rice. I recommend soaking these overnight for a more tender texture and to remove as much gas as possible. You can find red beans in Asian stores or on Amazon. Alternatively, you can omit this ingredient.
- Glutinous rice and red bean seasonings: For extra flavor, I mixed glutinous rice and red beans with salt, Chinese Five Spice Powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and peanut oil.
- Fresh duck salted egg yolks: You will need about 30 salted egg yolks. This gives the dumpling a rich umami taste and a buttery creamy texture. If you’re using whole salted duck eggs like I do in the recipe, be sure to separate the yolks. Crack the eggs and rinse off the egg white with water. Alternatively, you can opt for pre-separated salted duck yolks available in vacuum-sealed packages for convenience.
- Peeled mung beans: Peeled mung beans, which are the split type, are the main ingredient I use to make Mung Bean Cake. These beans are yellow in color as they do not have the hulls. Avoid the whole mung beans which are green and have hulls on. I like to use peeled mung beans since these cook faster and are easier to digest.
- Dried scallops: Dried scallops are usually dry and require soaking until rehydrated and soft. If you want to lessen the soaking time of scallops, you can crunch them into bits. In this recipe, I skip the soaking process for the dried scallops since they will cook for hours as part of the filling. I love adding dried scallops to give the rice a pungent and strong umami taste. You can replace dried scallops with dried mini shrimp.
What To Know About Bamboo Leaves
Apart from glutinous rice, another key ingredient for this recipe is the bamboo leaves. These lend a mild green tea taste and aroma to the rice. The leaves also keep the ingredients moist as it cooks.
So, I don’t suggest replacing this from the recipe. These are usually bought in dried form, so they require soaking before using. You can buy them in Asian stores or on Amazon.
Make sure to get the best quality and wider leaves. Smaller leaves will make it difficult to wrap the ingredients. If you are new to preparing bamboo leaves, follow these steps and tips:
- Fill a large pot with water.
- Place the leaves and keep them submerged by adding weight on top.
- Soak the leaves for 1 hour or overnight. Soaking is essential in making the leaves soft for folding without cracking.
- After soaking, rinse and clean the leaves with water to remove dirt.
- Fill a pot with water and boil the leaves in cold water for about 15 minutes.
- Until you are ready to use the leaves, keep them submerged in water to prevent them from drying out.
How To Cook Zongzi – Pressure Cooker Vs Traditional Stove
Traditionally, zongzi is cooked on the stove for about 3 to 4 hours. This involves placing the wrapped zongzi in a pot, covering them with cold water, and simmering over medium-low heat for 2 hours. The timing starts from when the water in the pot begins to boil. Afterward, let them simmer for an additional hour with the heat turned off.
However, this process can be quite time-consuming and may require an entire day’s worth of effort.
If you want to skip that to save time and gas/electricity, I recommend using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot instead.
Using a pressure cooker cuts down cooking time to only 45 minutes! It gives you the same sticky and gooey texture as the traditional boiling method.
I use a traditional stovetop pressure cooker for this recipe. However, you can also use an electric pressure cooker. Set the cooking time to 1 hour and then allow it to simmer for about another hour until the pressure naturally releases.
Here are some tips when cooking zongzi in a pressure cooker:
- Avoid overfilling the dumplings. It should not be too packed since the rice will expand when it cooks. Otherwise, the leaves may tear and the ingredients will spill in the pot. So, make sure there is enough room for the rice to expand, but at the same time it should also not be too loose.
- Do not overcook the dumplings. Overcooking can cause the zongzi to break open.
- Release the pressure before opening the lid. To prevent injury, make sure to let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.
- Do not cook different types of zongzi at the same time. If you plan to make 2 or more types of zongzi, do not boil them together. It will transfer the flavors from one zongzi to the next as it cooks throughout the water. The flavors of the types of dumplings will be mixed and indistinguishable when cooked together.
How To Store And Reheat Zongzi
Storing zongzi is easier compared to storing buns and dumplings. After cooking, allow the zongzi to cool naturally, then store them in a tightly sealed food bag, which is my preferred method for convenience. Alternatively, for better preservation, you can individually wrap each zongzi in plastic wrap before placing them in a sealed food bag. If possible, vacuum sealing provides even better preservation.
They can be refrigerated for 3-5 days or frozen for up to a month. When reheating refrigerated zongzi, microwave them for 40 seconds or steam for 10 minutes. If they are frozen, there’s no need to thaw; steam them directly for 15-20 minutes.
Zongzi VS Lo Mai Gai
Zongzi and lo mai gai are both traditional Chinese sticky dishes wrapped in leaves, but they differ in their ingredients and preparation methods. Zongzi typically consists of glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings like pork belly, salted egg yolk, mushrooms, and red beans, tightly wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled until cooked.
On the other hand, lo mai gai, also known as sticky rice with chicken, features glutinous rice mixed with marinated chicken, Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and sometimes salted egg yolk, seasoned with soy sauce and spices, and then steamed in lotus leaves. The glutinous rice used in zongzi is typically raw before boiling, while the glutinous rice in lo mai gai is precooked before steaming.
Ingredients And Tools To Prepare
Prepare your pressure cooker, mixing bowls, and most importantly, cotton string or kitchen twine. Choose quality kitchen twine to avoid breaking easily and make sure to have enough of this so you don’t run out. The ingredients to prepare are the following:
- 2000g of pork belly
- Pork belly marinade:
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of five-spice powder
- 1 tsp of chicken bouillon powder
- 1500g of glutinous rice
- 250g of red beans (soaked overnight)
- Glutinous rice and red beans seasoning:
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of peanut oil
- 30 or more fresh duck salted egg yolks
- 500g Peeled mung beans
- 250g Dried scallops
- Bamboo leaves (you will need 2 bamboo leaves per dumpling)
10 Steps To Make Zongzi
Watch my Instagram or TikTok tutorial video to learn more about the steps and ingredients used. As you can see, I have already prepared some of the ingredients in advance. I soaked the red beans and softened the bamboo leaves.
When you are done making zongzi, don’t forget to share them with us by posting a photo and tagging @kitchenmisadventures. Leave a comment to share your thoughts and recommendations about the recipe.
- Prepare the pork belly. Wash the pork belly and cut it into 1 cm thick slices. Marinate the pork belly with salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, and chicken bouillon powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or more. For best results, you can marinate it overnight, allowing the flavors to penetrate the meat thoroughly.
- Prepare the glutinous rice and red bean mixture. Wash and drain glutinous rice. Add red beans that have been soaked overnight. Season the glutinous rice and red beans with salt, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and peanut oil. Mix well and set aside.
- Prepare fresh duck salted egg yolks. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
- Prepare the main ingredients for assembling:
- Glutinous rice and red beans mixture
- Marinated pork belly
- Peeled mung beans
- Salted duck egg yolks
- Dried scallops
- Bamboo leaves
- Take your soaked and blanched bamboo leaves. Overlap two bamboo leaves and bring the two ends together to form a funnel or cone shape in the middle. This is where the filling is placed.
- Add 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice and red bean mixture, 1 teaspoon of mung beans, 1 piece of pork belly, 1 egg yolk, and 1 piece of dried scallop.
- Finally, cover the filling with another tablespoon of glutinous rice and red bean mixture. Gently press and flatten the top.
- Seal the dumpling by folding the leaves from top to bottom to cover the filling. Then, fold both sides down to take the shape of a triangle. Lastly, fold the remaining part of the leaves down to seal. If the leaf breaks or tears open during the folding process, I recommend replacing it with a new leaf and doing the folding process again. Otherwise, the dumplings will burst during cooking. So, make sure you have extra leaves in case some are torn.
- Use kitchen twine to wrap the middle part of the dumpling where the ends of the leaves are. Wrap it twice and make a knot.Leave a long string after the knot so it is easier to carry and take out all the dumplings at once from the pressure cooker.
- Place all the wrapped dumplings in the pressure cooker and add enough water to fully submerge the zongzi. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When done, let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. Serve zongzi while hot and fresh!
How To Make Zongzi
Ingredients
- 2000 g of pork belly
Pork belly marinade:
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of five-spice powder
- 1 tsp of chicken bouillon powder
- 1500 g of glutinous rice
- 250 g of red beans soaked overnight
Glutinous rice and red beans seasoning:
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of peanut oil
- 30 or more fresh duck salted egg yolks
- 500 g Peeled mung beans
- 250 g Dried scallops
- Bamboo leaves you will need 2 bamboo leaves per dumpling
Instructions
- Prepare the pork belly. Wash the pork belly and cut it into 1 cm thick slices. Marinate the pork belly with salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, and chicken bouillon powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or more.For best results, you can marinate it overnight, allowing the flavors to penetrate the meat thoroughly.
- Prepare the glutinous rice and red bean mixture. Wash and drain glutinous rice. Add red beans that have been soaked overnight. Season the glutinous rice and red beans with salt, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and peanut oil. Mix well and set aside.
- Prepare fresh duck salted egg yolks. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
- Prepare the main ingredients for assembling:
- Glutinous rice and red beans mixture
- Marinated pork belly
- Peeled mung beans
- Salted duck egg yolks
- Dried scallops
- Bamboo leaves
- Take your soaked and blanched bamboo leaves. Overlap two bamboo leaves and bring the two ends together to form a funnel or cone shape in the middle. This is where the filling is placed.
- Add 1 tablespoon of glutinous rice and red bean mixture, 1 teaspoon of mung beans, 1 piece of pork belly, 1 egg yolk, and 1 piece of dried scallop.
- Finally, cover the filling with another tablespoon of glutinous rice and red bean mixture. Gently press and flatten the top.
- Seal the dumpling by folding the leaves from top to bottom to cover the filling. Then, fold both sides down to take the shape of a triangle. Lastly, fold the remaining part of the leaves down to seal. If the leaf breaks or tears open during the folding process, I recommend replacing it with a new leaf and doing the folding process again. Otherwise, the dumplings will burst during cooking. So, make sure you have extra leaves in case some are torn.
- Use kitchen twine to wrap the middle part of the dumpling where the ends of the leaves are. Wrap it twice and make a knot.Leave a long string after the knot so it is easier to carry and take out all the dumplings at once from the pressure cooker.
- Place all the wrapped dumplings in the pressure cooker and add enough water to fully submerge the zongzi. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When done, let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid. Serve zongzi while hot and fresh!
