The Dragon Boat Festival has come to an end
And I have learned a new recipe
It is a creative combination of exquisite but simple sago Zongzi
The flavors make me overjoyed
I enjoy homemade cooking, but never have the time
The traditional sticky rice Zongzi
From soaking the rice to preparing all kinds of ingredients
Can be very time consuming
The process of wrapping and steaming is also long
But if you substitute sticky rice with sago
You’ll save a lot of time
The aesthetic of the sago Zongzi is also amazing
Crystal clear
Tasty and chewy
Matcha and honey beans with sago
A perfect mate for Zongzi
It can be a hot dish
Or served cold with coconut milk or honey
It tastes even better!
This dish is not only a treat for the Dragon Boat Festival table
But also a DIY recipe that I am willing to share with my friends
Ingredients (for 8 pieces of Zongzi)
Sago......4 tsp.
Crystal sugar......3.5 oz.
Red bean......2.8 oz.
Matcha powder......½ tsp.
Camellia oil......3 tsp.
Water......0.4 cup
Bamboo leaves......16 sheets
Instructions
Add camellia oil into sago, stir well
Then slowly add 0.4 cup of water, while stirring
Allow time for sago to absorb liquid
Add Matcha powder
Soak red beans for at least 8 hours in advance
Add red beans into pot
Add water until beans are submerged
Add a pinch of salt and sugar
Boil about half an hour on low heat
Until the beans are completely soft and water is evaporated
Turn off the heat and let cool
Apply a layer of camellia oil to the smooth side of each bamboo leaf
Take two leaves
Petioles facing each other
With the smooth side facing upwards
Overlap together at 1/3 of the blade
Create a funnel shape
Add a spoonful of soaked matcha sago
And a spoonful of red beans
Finally add a spoonful of sago to cover the red beans and gently compact
Pack into a triangular shape
Tie with cotton rope in the center
Place into a pot with boiling water
Boil for 15 minutes on medium to low heat
Serve!
Tips:
1. In order to make sago easy to cook, allow it to absorb some water before wrapping. Sago melts in water easily, so mix with a little camellia oil first to coat sago with a “waterproof film”.
2. When the water-absorbed sago swells, it is ready for wrapping.
3. Sago is relatively loose, and not as easy to wrap as sticky rice. Using two bamboo leaves can help shape the Zongzi.
4. If cooked sago Zongzi sits in the refrigerator for too long, the texture will harden. So it is better to leave it under room temperature, and slightly ice before eating.