I learnt a lot of cooking techniques from my mum, especially how to cook cantonese cuisine. Since her passing, I have been thinking about the unique skills I have gained from my mum and the patience she must have had to teach them to me (it took a while to get this post and video together). One technique/recipe that came to mind was how to make Joong which are basically packets of sticky rice with tasty fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. I'm not a pro but I felt like making a bunch and share how I like to make them.
When you make Joong, you make heaps. I make single serve sized ones and I'm able to make around 20 with the quantities in this recipe. Joong are great to freeze and fantastic for a quick snack. Although it is best to thaw them and steam them to reheat; I find them just as tasty when re-heating in the microwave in a little water.
If you'd prefer to watch a video click below for my video:
Otherwise onto the recipe and ingredients.
40+ Bamboo leaves
1 kg glutinous rice
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp seasme oil
1/2 tsp salt6 chinese sausages
6 chinese mushrooms
100g peeled mung beans
50g dried shrimp
Pork and Marinade
500g belly pork
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp seasme oil
Soak the bamboo leaves, rice, mushrooms and mung beans overnight.
Cut the pork into strips, then marinade overnight in five spice powder, garlic, dark soy sauce and seasme oil.
Drain the rice, mung beans and bamboo leaves.
Cut the mushrooms and sausages into small bite sized pieces.
Add light soy sauce, sesame oil and salt to the rice; stir until coated all over.
To make Joong, take two bamboo leaves, (you might need to use a damp cloth to iron out any creases in the leaves) lay one on top of the other length ways.
Bend them upwards to make a pocket.
Spoon a bit of rice into the pocket, add some mung beans, and couple of pieces of mushrooms, pork, sausage.
Sprinkle some dried shrimp on top then fill the pocket with more rice.
Fold down the leaves to cover the filling and continue bending the leaves around to make a packet.
Use twine or string to tie off and secure the bamboo leaves around the filling, making sure to tightly tie off the end whilst leaving a loose end of string to make it easy to untie and eat.
Place in a large pot.
Repeat with remaining leaves and ingredients.
Once all the joong are made and in the pot, fill with cold water, making sure all the joong are submerged.
Bring to a rapid simmer.
Simmer for 1 hour.
And they are ready to eat.
To eat, untie the string/twine, remove the bamboo leaves and serve with light soy sauce.
Tips:
Make sure to use already peeled mung beans; they are yellow all over.
You can fill them with whatever you like; try chicken in place of pork or go traditional by adding raw peanuts and salted duck egg!
If your bamboo leave have folds or creases in them, after soaking just grab a damp cloth and rub along the leaf lengthwise to iron the crease out.
I find it is easier to wrap the bamboo leaves around the filling if the top of the fillings are compressed downwards so the top is flat.
No joong is wrapped exactly the same as each bamboo leaf is different so it can take a little while to get the hang of the organic nature of the bamboo leaves; all I can say is practice, practice, practice and it does get easier so have a go!
Enjoy!!
Mel Crafting the Crafty Epicurean.
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