jessiefoodinthekitchen

Bak chang or zongzi is one of those festive foods that I always look forward to. The aroma of bamboo leaves, glutinous rice, and savory fillings  bring  back fond memories of the festive season. However, traditional Bak Chang can be quite time-consuming to make, often requiring hours of boiling. While the long cooking process helps soften the rice and infuse the fragrance of the bamboo leaves,  I sometimes find that the flavor of the filling  becomes milder after being boiled in so much water. Some of the seasoning and juices from the filling seem to dilute into the cooking water, resulting in a Bak Chang that tastes a little plain unless extra seasoning is used. That was how this lazy Bak Chang idea came about. I already had a delicious savory filling that I often use for stuffed  Taupok  (tofu puff) . A  combination of minced pork, dried shrimp, mushrooms,  Chinese  sausages, carrots , green beans, and corn kernels. Since the filling i...