This Sambal Hebi Bak Chang is adapted from Grandma’s Hokkien Bak Chang, the spicy dried shrimp sambal has given the dumplings another distinct flavour.
Pork & mushroom: Add ingredients for marinade to pork and mushroom, mix well. Keep refrigerated to marinate for 1 hour.
Sambal hebi: Blend together garlic and cooking oil, then add dried chilies in 3 batches, blend until smooth. Add in red chili, followed by shallot, blend until smooth. Cook chili paste over medium heat until fragrant, discard excess chili oil. Add in sugar and salt, mix well. Add in dried shrimp, cook over medium heat until fragrant.
Glutinous rice: Preheat cooking oil, cook shallot until fragrant. Add in glutinous rice, cook for 1 minute. Add salt, five spice powder and dark soy sauce to dried shrimp soaking water (top up with mushroom soaking water if not enough), mix well. Add to glutinous rice gradually, stir-fry until liquid has dried up. (Reminder: The soaking time for different types of glutinous rice might be different, adjust the soaking time according to the type of glutinous rice you use.)
Divide pork filling and glutinous rice into 15 portions.
Making dumplings:
Rinse bamboo string with water (to prevent it from breaking easily).
Fold 2 pieces of bamboo leaves into cup shape. Wet the palm, put ½ of glutinous rice into bamboo leaf cup, add in 1 tablespoon of sambal hebi, add in other ingredients, add in another tablespoon of sambal hebi, then top with the remaining glutinous rice. Wet the palm again, press the glutinous rice until firm, wrap the dumpling properly, then tie with bamboo string.
Put dumplings into steamer rack. Bring water of steamer to the boil, put in dumplings, steam over medium-high heat for 1 hour. (Reminder: Top up the hot water for steamer if necessary. Change the position for dumplings, top down bottom up, after 30 minutes of steaming.)
Put the cook dumplings on kitchen towels to absorb any excess oil.
Video
Notes
This recipe yields 15 pieces of bak chang.The nutritional value for reference is for 1 piece of bak chang. Since no borax is added, the cooled dumplings should be refrigerated to maintain freshness. I usually freeze the dumplings and consume with 3 months.