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Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Malay Mail
Dragon Boat dumplings: An ode to Cantonese ‘zung'
COMMENTARY, May 31 — Today is the Dragon Boat Festival or Duen Ng Jit (or Double Fifth Festival in Cantonese). The fifth day of the fifth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, when we commemorate how the ancients threw dumplings into a river where a beloved poet had drowned himself to prevent the fish from eating his corpse. Which sounds a bit macabre but what we are most mindful of today aren't dragon boat races or long-lamented poets but the delicious dumplings. This is my ode to the Dragon Boat dumplings, specifically my favourite Cantonese zung. The most common triangular or pyramid shaped 'zung'. — Picture by CK Lim Let us begin with its iconic shape (and the appetite-whetting thrill we get when we recognise it, even from a distance.) The most common zung you'd see is likely to be triangular or pyramid shaped. A tetrahedron, really. There are, of course, variations. The Northern Chinese zung is shaped like a log. In Japan, their version of zung, called chimaki, is sweet and has a long conical shape, typically eaten on Children's Day. A Northern Chinese 'zung' is shaped like a log. — Picture by CK Lim Those who grew up Malaccan, as I did, care less about the shape and more about the colour of the zung. Our Nyonya version is partially dyed blue thanks to the use of blue pea flower; the filling is simpler too — a sweet blend of minced pork and candied winter melon. But there's nothing quite like the stuffing of a formidable Cantonese zung. Full of goodness within, from shiitake mushrooms and mung beans to marinated pork belly and tender chestnuts. A bit of decadence when you add Chinese sausages and salted egg yolks. Plenty of aged umami from dried shrimp and dried scallops. Don't forget the sugar, salt and Chinese five spice. The secret ingredient, I've been told, is some chicken bouillon powder (the same secret ingredient to a fantastic fried rice, come to think of it). It's like the greatest hits from a well-stocked Cantonese pantry. Full of goodness within, from mushrooms to chestnuts. — Picture by CK Lim This might sound blasphemous to some but consider pairing your favourite savoury zung with some chilli oil. Really, don't knock it till you've tried it. Some folks like to dip their zung into a saucer of granulated sugar; me, I prefer some fragrant laat ziu yau. My favourite chilli oil is laden with fermented soybeans for an extra umami kick. Experiment with different types of chilli oil — anything from chilli crisps with fried garlic flakes to a hot honey chilli crunch. Honestly, it doesn't taste as spicy as you might fear (not when you have grown up eating cili padi!). The spice doesn't threaten unbearable heat; instead it deepens the savouriness of the zung. Your taste buds will thank me, as will you. Pair your favourite savoury 'zung' with some chilli oil. — Picture by CK Lim Of course, if you truly crave something fiery, you can always spice things up with some Sichuan mala powder. The mixture of Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, salt and a good dose of aromatic spices such as cardamom, cumin, cloves and star anise will electrify your palate. Not too much, but just enough to make you appreciate a soothing slice of shiitake mushroom or a fatty morsel of pork belly. You might be delusional from the numbing spices but you swear these gelatinous textures help to cool your tongue, now on fire. Spice things up with some Sichuan 'mala' powder. — Picture by CK Lim At the end of the day though, I'm happy to enjoy my zung as is. Slowly peeling the greasy bamboo leaves away to reveal the glutinous pyramid within. Slicing the now naked dumpling to unearth its treasures. Which should I taste first? The collagen-rich pork belly? The sweet chestnut? The seductive salted egg yolk? Perhaps start simply, with a few grains of the sticky rice, as well seasoned as a good life.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
As war rages on, a Ukrainian chef fights to save his country's cuisine
'Ready to cook?' Standing behind the island in his studio kitchen, looking at me through the screen, Yevhen Klopotenko is getting ready to teach me how to make Ukrainian dumplings. The sun streams through his expansive windows; the space feels peaceful. If you were in my kitchen observing the Zoom, you'd never know that on the other end of this call is a war zone.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Plant-based meat has a problem. It may need more meat.
Dumplings in China. Empanadas in Latin America. Meat loaf in the United States. If you've eaten food anywhere on the planet, you've probably indulged in some savory blend of meat and vegetables. These recipes have been with us for as long as we've had the ingredients. They tend to be a side dish in many traditional cuisines. But as chefs and companies try to make plant-based foods more palatable, they are becoming the main dish.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Pasta and pesto, broth and dumplings, pancakes and chutney: Ravinder Bhogal's pea recipes
My earliest memory of kitchen duties is sitting on a stool in our courtyard in Kenya with a sack of peas that was bigger than me. I spent hours coaxing them from their pods, munching as I went; the result was a red plastic bucket brimming with peas like gleaming green marbles. As with asparagus, they have a short season, so grab them while you can: throw them whole into salads, broths and curries, or grind them down and use their starchy goodness to make pestos, pancakes and fritters. Peas, broth and bread dumplings (pictured above) These herbal dumplings are made from the sturdiness of stale bread, cheese and sweet peas. I've used pecorino, but you could use parmesan or a hard goat's cheese instead. Prep 20 min Cook 35 min Serves 4 For the dumplings 30g butter 1 leek, white part only, washed and very finely chopped 1 large egg, beaten 250g stale sourdough, torn into small pieces Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 50g pecorino 1 heaped tbsp plain flour 125g podded fresh peas, or defrosted frozen peas, coarsely ground 2 tbsp chopped tarragon 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, plus extra to serve Sea salt and black pepper 1-2 tbsp milk For the broth 1 litre chicken stock, or vegetable stock 200g peas, fresh or frozen 1 tbsp olive oil (optional) 100g guanciale or pancetta, cubed (optional) Juice of ½ lemon Melt the butter in a frying pan, then gently saute the leek until soft but not coloured, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the remaining dumpling ingredients apart from the milk, then add the cooled leek and season. Add enough of the milk to make a soft dough, then, with wet hands, form the mix into ping-pong ball-sized dumplings and refrigerate. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the dumplings, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, adding the peas for the last minute of cooking. If you're using the guanciale, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, fry the cubed meat for five to six minutes, until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Season the broth to taste and squeeze in the lemon juice. Divide the dumplings and peas between four soup bowls, ladle the broth over the top, add the guanciale, if using, and serve with extra parsley. Pea and mung bean cheelas with fried eggs and coriander chutney Ravinder Bhogal's pea and mung bean cheelas. I regularly make these for breakfast or lunch; you could use spinach or any other greens instead, or cooked beetroot for vibrant purple pancakes. Prep 15 min Soak 6 hr+ Cook 35 min Makes 8 100g whole mung beans 200g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted peas 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 green chilli, finely chopped 1 handful coriander, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds Sea salt, to taste Coconut oil, or avocado oil Fried eggs, to serve For the coriander coconut chutney 100g coriander, stalks and all, roughly chopped 100g grated coconut (you can buy this frozen) 1 green chilli, roughly chopped Juice of 1 juicy lime ½ tsp caster sugar 2½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped Rinse the mung beans well, cover with double the amount of water and leave to soak for at least six hours, or overnight. To make the chutney, put the coriander, coconut, green chilli, lime juice, sugar, salt to taste, ginger and 100ml ice-cold water in a blender, and blitz smooth. To make the cheelas, put the peas, ginger, chilli, coriander and a splash of water in a food processor and blitz smooth. Drain the mung beans, add them to the pea mix with the cumin seeds and sea salt to taste, and blend again. Add roughly 100ml water and blend until the mix has the pouring consistency of crepe batter. To cook, lightly oil a cast-iron or nonstick frying pan and put it on a low-medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and, using the back of the ladle, circle and spread the batter to make a thin pancake. Drizzle a little oil around the sides and in the centre of the cheela, then cook on both sides for two to three minutes, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter, cooling the pan with a splash of cold water before making the next cheela. Serve with fried eggs and the chutney. Trofie with pea and lemon pesto Ravinder Bhogal's trofie with pea and lemon pesto. This makes a wonderfully bright pesto that is also excellent with grilled fish such as trout. Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 Sea salt and black pepper 100g basil 25g mint, picked 250g podded fresh peas, or frozen and defrosted 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 30g pine nuts, toasted 30g pecorino or parmesan, grated, plus extra for sprinkling Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 60ml extra-virgin olive oil 250g trofie , or other pasta shape of your choice 1 handful pea shoots (optional) Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put the basil, mint, half the peas, the garlic, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice and zest into a blender, season and whizz to a puree. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the oil until it's all incorporated and you have a vibrant pea paste. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the remaining peas for the last minute of cooking. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Stir the pesto and a little pasta cooking water through the hot pasta and peas, then add the pea shoots, if using. Divide between four bowls and serve sprinkled with more grated pecorino or parmesan.
