Kaolak Chang

Savoury Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Chestnuts and Pork

This is my favourite. The Nonya kueh chang is special because of its blue rice and sweet yet
savoury taste, but my mother’s kaolak chang felt substantial with its filling of chestnuts, pork,
dried shrimps and Chinese mushrooms. The variance in texture also titillates the tastebuds.

makes 6 to 10 servings

filling

70 g or 2½ ounces Chinese
mushrooms, soaked in hot water
for 30 minutes

600 g or 1 pound 5 ounces pork
leg fillet

70 g or 2½ ounces dried shrimps,
soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

45 g or 1½ ounces garlic, peeled and
pounded

150 g or 5 ounces shallots or small
red onions peeled and sliced finely

1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

230 g or 8 ounces chestnuts (kaolak),
shelled and chopped roughly

rice

600 g or 1 pound 5 ounces
glutinous rice

½ cup peanut oil

30 g or 1 ounce garlic, peeled
and minced

40 g or 1½ ounces shallots,
peeled and sliced finely

1 teaspoon five-spice powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

wrapping materials

50 pieces dried bamboo leaves

1 roll raffia string, cut into strips of
about 40 cm or 16 inches long

filling (can be made a day ahead)

1.   Drain the Chinese mushrooms and squeeze dry. Discard
the hard stems. Slice the mushrooms thinly, about 0.5 cm
or ¼ inch in width.

2.   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Turn heat down
to medium. Cook the pork in the boiling water for 30 to
40 minutes until tender. Drain and cool the pork. Chop
the pork into cubes of about sides 1 cm or ½ inch.

3.   Drain and pat dry the dried shrimps.

4.   Heat oil in a wok. Fry garlic till light brown and remove
from wok, then fry the sliced onions until light brown.

5.   In the same wok, fry the mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes
and add the pork and dried shrimps. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add salt, sugar, five-spice powder, dark soy sauce and
chestnuts. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool in basin. Drain off
excess oil.

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