I come, I see, I Hunt and I Chiak Its mainly about food, some fashion, movie and the 'lengang' days of me~

Every year during 5th day of 5th month on the lunar calendar, I am always excited on it as it is Dragon Boat Festival that will traditional eat Zong Zi or what I usually call (Bak Chang) which is a type of traditional Chinese Food, many Chinese during this festival at some of the homes will do some homemade bak chang by using ingredient such as pork, lotus seed, lotus leaves, salted duck egg, white or brown rice.

This festival was to commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period. For more (read here – wikipedia)

I have always been a big fan of rice dumpling especially the home made ones, as it is rich in ingredients. Usually during this festival, my auntie would make some and give around the neighbours and there are at one time, my auntie forgot that the neighbor went travel and I had 2 weeks of bak chang! (after that got phobia of it) but till now still in lurve with the taste of it.

To me, I only always enjoy eating as I know making bak chang is easy as it involves a lot of work, but the tricky part is tying it up, that not until recently, I get an opportunity to attend a rice dumpling workshop by ‘Chef Lo Tian Sion’ that each of us were given a huge space in the kitchen table to play around, and let me tell you, it was fun!

The ingredients for the night are, white and brown rice, sugar, salt, oil, some powder . . .

and the very main ingredient are usually customise with your own choice, but for tonight are chicken breast meat, sea cucumber, mushroom, salted duck egg yolk, dry scallop and a few more.

Fresh lotus leaves are needed to wrap on the rice dumpling.

The chef are ready, are you ready~

Pour all the ingrediant into the bowl and mix it with your hand.

then after mix it thoroughly and place the 3 lotus leave at the bottom and spread it out, next add in the mix brown and white rice as the base then add in the main ingredient on top.

my best of wrap then the chef said that its not tight and solid enough. Gosh~ you really need the trip or master the skills to wrap on it.

Tadaaa....7th attempt still fail and it was the assist of the chef that helps us to tie on it and Ester also did it.

Our rice dumpling are going into the steam, as I just got to know that it need to be in boiling water for 8 hours. (which previously I thought for only a few hours)

Usually we go for the traditional rice dumpling but now we are learning sweet dumpling which is meant for desert . . . above are the ingredient needed.

Again, mix all the ingredient and mix it with your hand till thorougly till it become stick like a ball and prepared for the sweet base.

This are the sweet potato as been boil till very soft and mash it with hand, and need not add in any flavour as the sweet potato already quite sweet itself.

put it on a tray and you can customise the shape as you want it to be.

Hot up the oil till you stick a chopstick into the oil and you see bubble around it (shows that the oil is hot and ready to go) and just add in the whole tray of sweet potato to fried on it.

Fried till its golden brown and its ready to be eaten. What to eat it with? see the last pictures.

It was Andrew that help us take alot of pictures and he had sacrifise some of the process of making it.

Simply irresistable 'Rice Dumpling'. When it was cut open, my gawd, the smell of the lotus leave smell and strong aroma of the fragrant rice dumpling shows that it had been well boil and the taste of it, was not too salty, just perfect yet rich in ingredient, this portion need to be share as I cant finish one myself.

Is something new to me but I did not expect the sweet rice dumpling to be so good. Sweet potato was rich in its original taste, yet its hot but eat along with ice cream taste awesome and the sweet rice dumpling wasnt to sweet as it is a very good combination.

With this great experience is only one person to thank to, Katie which gave us the invites and had a great experience at the back kitchen..

Nikko Hotel is organising a Rice Dumpling Culinary Class on 5th of June 2010 and its only based on reservation, as seats are first-come-first-served basis.

Just by RM100++ per person inclusive of recipe booklet and Dim Sum Set Lunch which I think its a great bargain as you are running back home with 3 types of recepi and a set lunch brunch or you decided to give it a try of the dumpling you can also buy them from Hotel Nikko from 1st to 16th June for dine-in or takeaway.

For reservation, call +603-2782 6188.
*Halal

Location:
Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur
165, Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel: +603-2161 1111

Email: info@hotelnikko.com.my
http://www.hotelnikko.com.my/