Paleo AIP Bak Zhang/ Zongzi (‘Rice’ Dumplings)

There must be some AIP goddess of alchemy out there smiling over my kitchen as I’ve been able to AIP-fy Asian foods that I had previously dismissed as impossible to AIP-fy!  Paleo AIP Bak Zhang is born, you guys!  I’m so stoked to share this recipe with you, just in time for Duan Wu Jie (Dragonboat/ Dumpling Festival)!  It falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar and this year it’s on the 9th of June.  I know it’s a tad late, but considering how this is comfort breakfast food eaten all year round for many, I guess it’s not so bad, right?

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A Family Tradition Made AIP-friendly

If you are familiar with Bak Zhang/ Zongzi/ Rice dumplings, you must know how it’s an intensive hands-on family affair.  Growing up, we would have Bak Zhang-making marathons at my Ah Ma’s (Grandma) place.  All the aunts would converge in the open kitchen in the backyard and chop, cook, wrap, tie and cook the dumplings.   It was a day long affair that would actually start at least the day beforehand with the soaking of leaves and rice and such.  Then we would take home our precious bundles of dumplings at the end of the day, tied with different coloured plastic raffia strings used to identify the flavours.

I didn’t help much when I was a kid, preferring to run and play with my cousins but when I got older and became more interested in cooking, I learned how to prepare and make the traditional Bak Zhang.  The last time I did that was 9 years ago, when my then-boyfriend (now husband) visited and had a hands-on cultural and culinary lesson (Bak Zhang 101!) with my aunts!

Now, this Paleo AIP Bak Zhang is also intensive and very much hands-on, though the advanced prepping and overnight soaking of rice is no longer relevant.  You can break it up into several days, making the stewed meat one day (batch cook it and enjoy some for dinner!) and prepping the other ingredients another day.  The most time-consuming part would probably be the wrapping of the Bak Zhang, unless, of course, if you manage to rope in some deft hands.  +1 if you have aunts with Bak Zhang wrapping prowess!

Sticky/ Glutinous Rice Substitute

Now for the big question: what did I use to replace the sticky rice in Bak Zhang?  When I posted the photos and videos on social media that was the most common question!  Cassava and root vegetables to the rescue!  I highly recommend using a food processor to process all your vegetables, as it will be quite a task to chop them by hand into rice-like grains.  I didn’t try grating them though, so I cannot tell if that will work.  A food processor is a lifeline for an AIPer, seriously.  It also made chopping the shallots a breeze (no tears!).

Free of Rice, Wheat, Gluten, Soy, and Other Beans

Traditional rice dumplings are made with sticky or glutinous rice and can cause indigestion for some (I recall feeling bloated after eating 1 or 2 back in my rice-eating days), so these Bak Zhang are a welcome change from that bloat-inducing version.  Packed with more vegetables, I would dare say they are even healthier!  Soy-free, wheat and gluten-free, bean-free, rice-free.  Flavourful and with the right texture.  Okay,  disclaimer time.  Paleo AIP Bak Zhang are a bit lighter, more delicate, moister, and less stodgy compared to the tradition rice dumpling, but I think that’s a win-win situation!  In my original recipe, the cassava to root vegetable ratio is pretty much 1:1 (I put in a bit more root vegetables than cassava, in fact), but adjust accordingly and increase the cassava content if you want a stickier and heftier Bak Zhang.

The stewed meat is based on my AIP Soy-free Tau Yew Bak recipe but made a bit more savoury to account for the ‘rice’ surrounding the filling.  This Bak Zhang is based on the traditional version i ate growing up, which is the Hokkien Bak Zhang, with seasoned rice (the dumpling is brown), a chunk of melt-in-your-mouth stewed pork belly, stewed dried shiitake mushroom, and chestnut in the middle.  In some households, salted yolk is added but I don’t recall that being used.  For textural and flavour contrast, I added bite-sized morsels of orange sweet potato in the Paleo AIP Bak Zhang to substitute for the chestnut and salted yolk.

Steamed, not Boiled

Bak Zhang are traditionally boiled for several hours but due to their rice-free structure, the Paleo AIP Bak Zhang are steamed instead.  This preserves the flavour and shape, allowing the wonderful aroma of the dried bamboo leaves used to wrap them to infuse into the dumpling.  I tried boiling a couple of Bak Zhang but they turned out a bit mushier than the steamed ones, so steaming is the way to go.  I love the scent of bamboo leaves so much that I use them to line my whole sweet potatoes when batch cooking in the oven!

Wrapping and Folding the Bak Zhang

As for the wrapping and folding of Bak Zhang, it is pretty much the same for the traditional version, so I have included here a video found on Youtube for reference:

Much more reliable than my folding technique based on my last experience wrapping them 9 years ago!  I didn’t hang them up to tie as I didn’t have anything to hang the twine off from, but it definitely makes it easier to tie.  The traditional Bak Zhang are tied with reed strings, giving it a pretty rustic look but it’s perfectly fine to use plastic raffia string (easy to find in Asia, not so much in the West) or butcher’s twine (easier to find in the West).   Of course, you don’t have to wrap them in the pyramidal shape and can wrap them in a cylindrical manner or whatever you prefer/ can manage, really.  It all tastes good!  You can get the ingredients such as dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, bamboo leaves, and daikon from Asian supermarkets if you are living outside of Asia.  If you are gluten-free and okay with soy or are not following the AIP, you can replace the coconut aminos with gluten-free soy sauce/ tamari.

Breaking Down the Steps

Once you separate the prep-work, it is actually pretty straightforward:

1. Make the stewed pork belly & mushrooms
2. Prepare the dried bamboo leaves for wrapping
3. Prepare the sweet potato chunks
4. Fry the dried shrimp and shallots
5. Make and marinate the sticky/ glutinous ‘rice’
6. Wrapping and steaming the dumplings

I’ll list them here with detailed instructions and some photos with horrendous lighting for reference.  There’s also the printable version at the bottom of this post, if you prefer.  Take the time to read through thoroughly and contact me if you have any questions or comments.  Happy Bak Zhang-making!

Make the Stewed Pork Belly & Mushrooms

First off, you will need to make the stewed pork belly & mushrooms.  You can do this ahead of time (like the day before or so).

You will need:

3 tbsp blackstrap molasses
3 tbsp coconut aminos/ soy-free coconut seasoning
6 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
2 strips mace/ 1 pinch ground mace
1 dried clementine peel or 1 teaspoon dried orange peel bits (optional)
1 2-inch stick cinnamon or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
140 mL or scant 2/3 cup bone broth or water
2 tsp sea salt
10 dried shiitake mushrooms
0.9kg/ 2lb pork belly

Directions:

Cut the pork belly into cubes about 1 inch in size.  Smash the garlic.  Peel and slice the piece of ginger thickly.  Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms.  Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the blackstrap molasses, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, mace, clementine/ orange peel, cinnamon, bone broth or water, sea salt, and dried shiitake mushrooms.

Allow to heat up and stir to mix, then mix in the pork belly cubes and increase the heat to bring the mixture to boil.  Once it comes to a boil, lower heat and cover, and allow to gently simmer at a around low to med-low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is tender (add a bit of water if your sauce is drying out).

Fish out the mushrooms, squeeze gently to remove excess sauce, cut off and discard the stems, before cutting into 20-25 bite-sized pieces and placing in a bowl.  Scoop out the sauce and reserve, then set aside the stewed pork and mushrooms separately to cool.

Next, prepare the dried bamboo leaves for wrapping

You will need:

50-60 dried bamboo leaves (make sure there are more than enough to account for any torn leaves)
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Rinse and place the dried bamboo leaves in a large pot, folding them slightly to fit around the pot. Add enough water to just cover, followed by the coconut oil.  Bring to a boil, lower to simmer for 5 minutes, and press down, turning the leaves occasionally as they tend to float to the top.  Remove from heat and leave them to soak for 30 minutes before draining.  Fill the pot again with room temperature water and cover, leaving the bamboo leaves inside and set aside until ready to wrap.

Then prepare the fillings: sweet potato

You will need:

226g/ 1/2 lb sweet potato

Directions:

Peel and cut the sweet potato into 25 chunks and set aside in a bowl.

Prepare the dried shrimp filling

You will need:

3 tbsp bacon fat
60g or 1/2 cup dried shrimp

Directions:

Rinse and drain the dried shrimp.  Heat the bacon fat in a wok or skillet over medium heat.  Add in the dried shrimp and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes (the oil may froth but that is okay).
Remove, leaving the fat in the pan and set aside in a small bowl.

Prepare the shallots filling

You will need:

250g shallots
3 tbsp of stewed meat sauce (from the stewed meat prepared earlier)

Directions:

Trim the shallots, then chop, using the food processor.  Return the same wok/ skillet used to fry the dried shrimp to the stove over medium heat and add the shallots.  Sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add in the stewed meat sauce and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes or so, before removing from heat.

Make the ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’

You will need:

454g/ 1lb daikon

1 teaspoon sea salt
454g/ 1lb chopped cabbage
1.13kg/ 2.5lb cassava

Directions:

Peel the daikon and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Sprinkle the sea salt and rub in, then set aside to sweat for about 15-20 minutes, before straining, rinsing and draining.  This is to remove the bitterness.  While sweating the daikon, remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and chop into large chunks.  Trim the cassava and peel off the tough brown outer layer and chop into large wedges, removing any wiry bits running along the middle of the cassava.  Then process the daikon, followed by the cabbage and cassava in a food processor until fine, rice-like grains form. Combine in a large bowl and set aside.

Marinate the ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’

You will need:

The shallots filling and ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ prepared earlier

3 tbsp of stewed meat sauce
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Stir the sauteed shallots from the previous preparation into the cassava ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ mixture, then add in the stewed meat sauce, blackstrap molasses, sea salt and ground ginger. Stir to mix well.

Wrap and steam the Bak Zhang

Make sure you have a large counter/ table space cleared to place your ingredients and wrap your dumplings.  Have the bowls of fillings, leaves, ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ placed within arm’s reach, with dining tablespoons/ teaspoons for each bowl of ingredient for easy filling.  If you don’t have enough space, shoo the curious young kids and pets out, line the floor with loads of newspaper, place the bowls of ingredients within handy reach, grab a step stool to sit on and get your origami going!

Drain and discard the bamboo leaf soaking water.  Place the ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ in a strainer over a bowl (you can do this in batches if you don’t have a large enough strainer).  Take 2 bamboo leaves and wipe them with a cloth (I didn’t do that as I was lazy and ended up having to deal with drippy dumplings while folding, which was rather messy).

With the shiny sides facing you, place the leaves on the palm of your non-dominant hand (do this over a plate to catch any drips).

Fold both sides upwards, overlapping one side over the other, forming a cone.   Hold the cone in your non-dominant hand.  Nitrile gloves are totally optional (that’s just the former lab rat in me).

Scoop a tablespoon of strained ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ mixture and place it at the bottom of the cone.

Then add a piece of pork belly, a piece of mushroom, 1/2 teaspoon of dried shrimp, and 1 piece of sweet potato.  Top with more ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ mixture until level with the top of the cone.  Smoothen the top with the tablespoon.

Fold the leaf over the ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ mixture like a lid, then pinch and fold the leaf against the cone, shaping it into a pyramidal shape with your hands.  See the video above.  My photos are just for reference and are not the traditional way of folding/ tying the dumplings.

Tie with twine and trim any loose ends, if desired.  Repeat until all the ‘glutinous/ sticky rice’ mixture is used up ( you may have some leftover fillings – great for supplementing other meals).  Any leftover bamboo leaves can be stored in the refrigerator for other cooking purposes (make more Bak Zhang!  Otherwise, try baking or steaming some meat on it).

Steam the Bak Zhang at a rolling boil (or high heat, depending on your steamer set up) for 1 hour, topping up with extra hot water if necessary.  Remove one and test if it is cooked through.  Feel nostalgic!  Set aside to cool slightly before serving.  Store the dumplings in the refrigerator once cooled.  Reheat in the microwave oven or steamer until just warmed through.