Serves 5 people
225 g brown rice
25 g instant oats
8-10 pieces shiitake mushroom
half a yam
200 g fresh button mushrooms
6 dried chestnuts
3 shallots
vegetable oil
salt
soy sauce
dark sweet soy sauce
vegetarian oyster sauce
16 pieces dried bamboo leaves
1 ball natural-fiber string

Recipe Courtesy of
Asian Food Network

Vegetarian Zongzi

The all-vegetarian rice dumpling is delicious. Brown rice substitutes the original white glutinous rice, and in place of meat, yam and mushrooms infuse it with a deep earthy, umami flavour. You might also be surprised to see the inclusion of instant oats, but blending it with brown rice really gives the Zongzi a delightfully crumbly texture in every bite. For the same flavorful seasoning, stick to soy sauce and plop in some splatters of vegetarian oyster sauce for a superb savory lick.

Difficulty: Hard

Preparation: 30 min
Cook: 180 min
Clean up: 15 min

Steps: 6 steps
14 Ingredients

Difficulty: Hard
Steps: 6 steps
14 Ingredients

Preparation: 30 min
Cook: 180 min
Clean up: 15 min

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients (overnight)
- Soak brown rice overnight.
- Drain water after.
- Soak 8-10 shiitake mushrooms overnight
- Soak 6 dried chestnuts overnight. (Leave them whole)

Preparation of filling
- Dice half a yam into bite sized pieces, steam for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, slice 3 shallots.
- Cut 200 g of fresh button mushrooms into quarters.
- Slice soaked shiitake mushrooms thinly.
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Cook seasoned rice
- Preheat a non-stick pan, add vegetable oil and stir fry 3 sliced shallots till fragrant.
- Add brown rice and oats, 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of dark sweet soy sauce, 1 tbsp of vegetarian oyster sauce and fry till well incorporated.
- Add a pinch of salt. Remove from heat when it turns slightly sticky, let cool.

Cook Dumpling Filling
- Preheat a non-stick pan, add in vegetable oil and stir fry 2 shallots till fragrant. Add in chestnuts, diced yam, fresh button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and let it sizzle.
- Mix in 5 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of dark sweet soy sauce, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of ground white pepper. Stir fry till everything is incorporated.

Shaping Dumpling
- Using 2 clean leaves (soaked in water and wiped dry withaclean cloth) to form a cone shape, make sure that the smoothside of the leaves are facing inwards.
- Fold leaves into cone shape.
- Fill 2 tablespoons of seasoned brown rice and use the back of the spoon to pack it in, creating an indentation in the middle.
- Add in mushrooms, chestnuts and yam.
- Top again with brown rice and oats, filling up ¾ of the cone. Use the back of the spoon to pack it all in so that it remains tightly within the leaves.

Folding Dumpling + Boiling
- Fold in the side fully and you will get a triangular shape. Fold along the shape and allow the ends to be tied up by a natural fiber string.
- In a large boiling pot of water add 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Place dumplings in the pot. Cover and lower heat to simmer for 2-2.5 hours. (Longer hours for bigger dumplings)
- After that, remove from the pot. A good indication of a cooked dumpling is when the rice does not stick to the leaves, and doesn’t fall apart when opened.

Plate and Serve!

Cool for 24 hours before consuming.

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Beef Rendang Zongzi

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Dessert Zongzi (Rice Dumpling with Coconut & Sweet Potato)

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Name: Vegetarian Zongzi
Prep time: P0Y0M0D0H30M0S
Cook time: P0Y0M0D3H0M0S
Total time: P0Y0M0D3H30M0S
Yield: Serves 5 people
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 225 g brown rice; 25 g instant oats; 8-10 pieces shiitake mushroom; half a yam; 200 g fresh button mushrooms; 6 dried chestnuts; 3 shallots; vegetable oil; salt; soy sauce; dark sweet soy sauce; vegetarian oyster sauce; 16 pieces dried bamboo leaves; 1 ball natural-fiber string