Joong Sticky Rice Packets
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:
https://youtu.be/g7V3TDVYDTY
Tricks and Tips:
I like the texture and complexity of flavour that the mung beans give these joong. Make sure to use already peeled mung beans; they are yellow all over. Otherwise you may find yourself carrying out the unenviable time consuming task of individually peeling the mung beans yourself. Please just find and purchase the already peeled ones and save yourself the headache.
The fillings in this recipe are my preferences. 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! Feel free to omit the mung beans, dried shrimp, mushrooms or any other fillings if you cannot find them in your area or if they are not to your tastes. I honestly think it is always better to fill joong with what you enjoy eating so that all the effort placed into making them will end up in your stomach and not just a waste of time. Although, I do think my combination of ingredients topped with a little soy sauce when serving is my favourite and being quite tasty, I find it is a crowd pleaser.
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. It is also not a show stopper if you find bamboo leaves with holes in them; just use it with a good bamboo leaf, making sure that the holes are covered by the the other leaf so the rice and fillings stay in the packet.
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. In otherwords, once you have filled the bamboo leaves with rice and fillings, use your hand to apply pressure downwards onto the top of the filling, making the top of the filling flat. Then fold a bamboo leaf over the top of the filling before carrying on to wrap the rest of the packet.
Sometimes the bamboo leaves come with twine or natural vine that can be used to tie off each packet of joong. However, I find that the quantity is never enough to wrap all the joong that a packet of bamboo leaves will make. To combat this, I use standard kitchen twine or buthchers twine or if I have a bit of time I make my own tying string out of cotton. I buy cheap dollar shop cotton, and make three ply lengths of string using the cotton and rewind it back onto a spare bobbin or spool as three ply cotton string – then I use that as my twine to tye my joong packets up with.
It is good to know that 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 just have a go! Also, try not to worry about getting each joong the same size, this is not something I worry about as I am generally really happy to get through making a nice big batch of these.
Otherwise onto the recipe and ingredients.
Joong - Sticky Rice Packets
Serves 20
40+ Bamboo leaves
1 kg glutinous rice
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
6 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 sesame 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.
Enjoy!!
Mel Crafting