Chicken Rendang Turmeric Rice Dumpling

BY MARGARITA LEE

Ingredients A
400g glutinous rice (2 cups)
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
3-4 pieces tamarind peel

Method:

1.   Wash glutinous rice until water runs clear and drain completely.
2.   Transfer into a large bowl, stir in turmeric powder, tamarind peel, and enough water to submerge the rice.
3.   Leave for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Ingredients B
100 ml water
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp peppercorn
3 pieces pandan leaves (tied into a knot)

Method:

1. Rinse the soaked glutinous rice again until the water runs clear, then drain completely.
2. Transfer the rice into a large bowl, and stir in the turmeric powder, tamarind peel, and enough water to submerge the rice. Leave to soak for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together water, coconut oil, salt, and pepper.
4. When the rice is ready, prepare your steamer on high heat. Drain the glutinous rice and gently place it in a steamer basket with the pandan leaves.
5. Steam the rice for 15 minutes, then pour the water mixture over the half-cooked rice and steam for another 10 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
6. Carefully remove the basket from the steamer and set it aside.

Chicken Rendang Filling (suggest to prepare one day ahead)

Ingredients (A)
500g boneless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
400 ml coconut cream
400g grated coconut (kerisik)
100 ml vegetable oil

Ingredients (B) – to blend
15 pieces dried chillies, cut and boiled for 5 minutes
5 pieces fresh chillies
4 candlenuts
5 cloves chopped garlic
2 large onions
3” ginger
2” fresh turmeric
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
Salt and sugar to taste

Ingredients (C) – Seasonings and Spices
2 stalks lemongrass, bashed
3 pieces kaffir lime leaves
3 pieces galangal slices
3-4 pieces asam keping/gelugur/tamarind slices
2 turmeric leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
5 cloves

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with salt and turmeric for an hour.
2. Pan fry grated coconut until dry and golden brown, then blend until fine (kerisik). Set aside.
3. Blend all Ingredients B into a fine paste.
4. Heat a wok with vegetable oil. Add in the aromatics and lemongrass, sauté until fragrant. Then add in the blended paste and sauté until the oil separates.
5. Add in marinated chicken pieces, stir to mix. Pour in coconut cream and bring to a boil. Season with salt and sugar. Add in tamarind peel and kerisik. Continue to stir occasionally for another 20 minutes or until the gravy thickens and the chicken is tender.
6. Add in sliced turmeric leaves and bruised kaffir lime leaves. Continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave to cool for later use.

Wrapping the Dumplings

Ingredients
15-20 pieces bamboo leaves
20 pieces of 1 square inch pandan leaf
Kitchen string

Method:

1. Soak the bamboo leaves in a large basin for a few hours or overnight. Place a weight on the leaves to ensure they are fully submerged.
2. In a large pot, boil the bamboo leaves for 5-10 minutes, then discard the water and leave to cool.
3. Wipe each bamboo leaf, front and back, with a clean kitchen towel.
4. Place two bamboo leaves on top of each other with the smooth side up and fold the top end diagonally into a cup shape to form a cone.
5. Scoop in 1 tbsp of the cooked turmeric rice. Use the back of the spoon to pack it in and create an indentation in the middle. Add in 1 tbsp of the filling. Top with more turmeric rice and a piece of pandan leaf.
6. Fold the top of the leaves over the rice and secure with kitchen string. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
7. Add 1 tbsp of salt to a large pot of boiling water, boil the turmeric dumplings over medium heat for 30 minutes. Allow the dumplings to sit for a further 10 minutes before removing from the pot.
8. Drain and keep the turmeric dumplings at room temperature before storing in the fridge.
9. To serve, re-steam or microwave for 2 minutes with a cup of water at the side.
10. These dumplings can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for several months.