Never have I thought that I will do it or I can do it or I will be desperate enough to do it myself. But I did it. After almost 2 years of being away from home, my craving for food which I took for granted back home drove me to desperation and I make my own rice dumplings for the very first time.
I used to watch my mum or Mal’s ?? spent hours washing, cleaning, dicing the ingredients needed. Frying in huge wok, standing for hours wrapping and finally cooking them in huge cooking pot. She would make batches and batches of dumplings each year for the family, relatives and friends. Most of the time everyone in the family would just sit and watch her take her time prepare the ingredients and do her stuff. She would start days ahead to do the preparation as it is not a simple feat making a hundred or so of dumplings all alone. I only realised this now, after making them myself, and I only made like 1/2 of what she used to make!
The toughest part in making rice dumplings is not the wrapping part, but the pre-wrapping part which include soaking, boiling and washing the bamboo leaves, dicing the meat and mushrooms, peeling and cutting the garlic and shallots. It took me half the day just to do that. Now I believe when people say that making dumplings is a lot of effort but the satisfaction you get when you sink your teeth into them, make the effort all worthwhile.
The aroma that fills the house reminds me of home, reminds me of ??. I called and we talked, just on how we make rice dumplings.
the raw ingredients
the cooked ingredients
the fruit of labour
try some? I love it!
wow! your bazai got so much ingredients one..yum yum!! this year po po makes one a bit blend and not as “generous”. Not bad for a first timer man..
I really missed those days back at my mum’s house where all of us will gather together to wash the leaves, prepare the ingredients, wrap, steam & eat together.
My grandma & mum are too old now to do all these. Nowdays, usually buy “off the shelf” dumplings.
Looking at your post brings back my memories. Thanks.
xiao yee,
ya, i tried to be more generous when it comes to liao and salt, cos I remember we used to complain that mum’s ones are not salty enough and not enough liao
janice,
i will probably buy ‘off the shelf’ dumplings if I am back home too. But over here, no choice, got to try to make ourselves. In a way it’s good, now I learn not to take such things for granted