Regina's Peranakan Bak Zhang Recipe

This is a 100 year old recipe that had been passed down from my Grandmother. I know that many people enjoy savouring the flavourful and tasty Nyonya Bak Zhang but few knows how to make it. I hope that by sharing this recipe, it will continue the Legacy of making Peranakan Nyonya Bak Zhang.
The video is into 2 parts. Part 1 shares with you on how to prepare the filling of the BakZhang whilst Part 2 shares with you on how to wrap the Bak Zhang.
Give this recipe a try and impress on your loved ones that you can make authentic Nyonya Bak Zhang
Regina’s Nyonya Bak Zhang Recipe :
Nyonya Bak Zhang Filling Ingredients (Part 1) :
• 750 gm of pork butt/shoulder boiled and cut into little cubes
• 8 dried Chinese mushrooms soaked in warm water and diced
• 6 Water Chestnuts peeled and diced
• 100 gm sugared Winter Melon diced
• 100 gm dried shrimps soaked and diced
• 5 Tbsp cooking oil
• 6 shallots peeled, finely sliced
• 5 garlic peeled, finely chopped
• 5 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 30 gm sliced and pounded galangal
• 5 pandan leaves cut each into 3inch sections to make 25-30 Bak Zhangs
Seasonings for Filling (Part 1) :
• 5 Tbsp Dark Caramel Soy Sauce
• 5 Tbsp sugar or more to taste
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tspn ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp (heapful) minced tau jio (fermented bean paste)
• 2 tspn salt
Materials for Wrapping the Bak Zhang (Part 2) :
• 50 pieces bamboo leaves is estimated for 25 Bak Zhangs
• Twine for wrapping the Bak Zhangs
Ingredients for Wrapping the Bak Zhang (Part 2) :
• 1.5kg glutinous rice to be divided
• Mix well 3 tsp salt into the glutinous rice
To make blue color for the dumplings:
• Take ¼ (375gm) of the Glutinous rice from the 1.5 Kg
• Add one cup of blue pea flower to ½ cup hot water to extract the blue OR
• Add ½ tspn blue food colouring to the 375gm glutinous rice
Optional Ingredient: Chestnuts
METHOD
Part 1- Cook the filling the day before:
• Soak mushrooms in hot water until they are soft. Dice into small cubes
• Cut the sugared winter melon into small pieces
• Dice the water chestnuts into small cubes
• Preheat a large skillet or wok. Add 5 tbsp cooking oil. Add shallots and garlic and stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add galangal, coriander powder, soaked dried shrimps, soaked Chinese mushrooms and all the seasonings. Save the water from the soaked dried shrimps and mushrooms. Stir fry for another minute.
• Add water chestnuts, sugared winter melon and Pork. Continue to stir fry. Stir to mix everything. As you may find it too dry, add the saved water from the soaked dried shrimps and mushrooms. The final taste should be sweet and savoury.
• Add more sugar if needed. Adjust the taste to your liking.
• Let it cool down and then cover and store in the refrigerator until the next day when you need to wrap the Bak Zhang.
Other Things to prepare the day before:
• Soak the dried bamboo leaves in hot boiling water for 5 mins until they are soft
• Wash and Soak 1.5 kg of glutinous rice in water overnight
Part 2 - How to wrap the Nyonya Bak Zhang:
• Get the blue rice, pork filling, glutinous rice, and bamboo leaves, and twine to your kitchen work station
• Use two bamboo leaves and place one on top of the other, One kind of slightly overlapping each other giving you an extended bamboo leaf. The smooth side should face you
• Fold into a cone shape. Place one spoon of blue rice at the bottom of the cone. Top with white glutinous rice and create and indentation in the middle. Add the filling, about 2-3 scoops, depends on how big your leaves are. Top with white glutinous rice. Use the back of the spoon to pack it down. Add a piece of pandan leaf
• Fold the top part down. Press down the 2 sides of the leaves and fold to one side the extra piece sticking out. You'll have tie this with a string securely. Repeat with the rest of the filling and rice
Boiling Bak Zhangs on the stove:
• Bring water to a boil and add 2 tspn salt. Add the wrapped Nyonya Bak Zhangs in and bring back to a boil and then lower heat to medium, cover with a lid and let it boil for the next 2 hours. During the 2 hours of boiling water level might drop due to evaporation and you will need to top up with water else some parts of the Bak Zhangs might not be cooked.
• Carefully use a tong to gently remove the Bak Zhangs from the pot to a cooling rack to let it cool down before eating them. They will still be soft to touch, but will firm up once they are cooled down completely

[@ginatan6871]

Miss Regina, you are very generouse and kind to show us in detail of this making and .wrapping Nonya dumpling. Thk you very much God Bless You.

[@leewin918]

Thank you so much Regina for sharing.

[@lucasmichael2331]

Thanks for sharing. Very kind of you.

[@TheoooTay]

Wow! Authentic Bak Zhang recipe that is indeed a rarity☺️ thank you for sharing this mama Regina!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@LeedonLee]

❤

[@uli157]

This is inspiring and makes me droolling 😊..
Happy to see you in this video, Boss!! Hope to see more coming soon 🤗

[@carmenong7907]

Thanks for sharing

[@chyomsky1]

Many Thanks Regina for making your precious recipe available for us to try..

[@noviantywongso]

Thank you for sharing this uber yummy recipe. I've made the filling according to this recipe and add some coconut milk to the glutinous rice, the result is da bomb! 🤤😍

[@CelineAng-dr8br]

Hi must we steam the rice b4 wrapping. My Granny cooked very good Nonya bak Chang n it seems quite different frm yrs.. maybe yr style n my granny style different la

[@deleo2541]

The make up 😂

[@xiaoyu3541]

you don't have to make up like an opera actress...