Plain Kee Chang (Alkaline Rice Dumpling)

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This is the easiest sticky rice dumpling to make with only a few ingredients. Alkaline water (lye water) is what gives its pale yellow colour. The other variation has red bean paste inside. Plain kee chang is usually served with palm sugar (gula melaka) syrup and sometimes kaya. They are smaller in size compared to the other rice dumplings like Nyonya Chang, Hokkien Chang to name a few.

To learn how to make Kee Chang, please click on the image below to view my video tutorial. 

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YouTube link: https://youtu.be/VS7UpuBkre4

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Plain Kee Chang

Makes 20 to 25 pieces

Author: Shiokman Eddie
Ingredients
  • 30 bamboo leaves
  • 30 straw strings
  • 500 g glutinous rice
  • 1 Tbsp alkaline water lye water
  • 2 tsp cooking oil
  • Homemade gula melaka syrup
Instructions
Preparation
  1. Boil bamboo leaves and strings for about 30 mins.
  2. Remove the strings and soak the leaves in clean water overnight.
  3. Rinse the strings and leaves before using.
  4. If boiling in a pressure cooker, don’t need to soak rice. But if you are not using a pressure cooker, soak the rice for 2 hours or overnight.
  5. Wash and rinse glutinous rice.
  6. Add alkaline water and oil to glutinous rice and mix well.
  7. Set aside for about 30 mins.
Assembly
  1. Wipe a piece of bamboo leaf with a cloth.
  2. Use the smooth side of the leaf to wrap the rice.
  3. Fold leaf into cone shape and add rice ¾ full. Lightly press with a spoon.
  4. Fold over the bamboo leaf forming a pyramid shape. Make sure that the 2 sides (‘wings’) of the leaves fully enclose the dumpling and form a tight seal. The 2 ‘wings’ must be firmly tucked against the sides of the dumpling to prevent leakage.
  5. Hold the dumpling firmly (with the 2 ‘wings’ locked in position) and tie the dumpling with the straw string firmly. Check that the 2 ‘wings’ are safely tied in position. Double knot the string.
  6. Trim off any excess leaf.
Boiling
  1. Put the dumplings in a pressure cooker pot of boiling water and cover and lock into place. Make sure that the water level is above the dumplings.
  2. Cook dumplings for about 40 minutes. If you are not using a pressure cooker, boil for about 2 hours.
  3. Slowly release the pressure before unlocking the cover
  4. Take out one dumpling to test for doneness.
  5. Remove from the pot and hang to drip dry or place on a wire rack to dry before serving.
  6. Serve with homemade gula melaka syrup.
Recipe Notes
  1. In the video, I used my leftover bak chang leaves.  However, you could use kee chang leaves, which are narrower and more suited for wrapping these smaller dumplings.
  2. If you are concerned about consuming too much alkaline water, you could do a quick rinse to wash off some of the alkaline water before wrapping the glutinous rice in the leaves.

2 Comments

  • Eddie,
    Thank you very much for sharing all your delicious recipes. Your food photos and Youtube videos are exceedingly well presented and very easy to follow. Keep up your excellent work. My wife and children love all your scrumptious recipes. I have recommended your food channel to my office colleagues and they love it. They want to know whether you have your own restaurant and they want to dine-in when they visit your country for holiday with their families.
    Take care and stay safe. God Bless . . . . Geoff

    • Thank you very much for your kind compliments Geoffrey and for sharing my food channel to your friends. I’m sorry but I don’t own any restaurant or eateries but just doing it as a passion of my wife and myself. Thanks again and stay safe and healthy.

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