Candied Date Zongzi

Candied Date Zongzi

1. Prepare raw materials, glutinous rice and Iraqi dates.

2. Rinse the candied dates.

3. Wash the glutinous rice and soak it in water.

4. Clean the zong leaves and boil or scald them with hot water to increase its softness.

5. Zongye has front and back sides, the concave side is smooth and the front side is convex, and the rough side is the back side.

6. Take 4 leaves and place them face up. (If the leaves you buy are wider, you can wrap them with one piece or two, so this step is omitted)

7. Swirl the leaves into a funnel shape.

8. Put a little glutinous rice first and compact it.

9. Put the dates, glutinous rice, and dates in order. You can put 3 to 5 pieces in two. Put a little rice in the middle to make sure it sticks together and won’t break. Finally, spread a layer of glutinous rice to fill the gaps. .

10. Cover all the rice dumpling leaves over the rice.

11. Pinch it and fold it back to form a sharp corner.

12. The remaining leaf whiskers were wrapped around a few corners.

13. Take a Malan leaf as a rope and tie the rice dumplings tightly around two of the corners according to the position in the picture. (If you don’t have Malan leaves, you can use cotton rope, preferably not plastic rope)

14. This is the fresh Malan leaf. The shape is a bit like a leek leaf, but it is much wider and longer than the leek leaf. It has a grassy taste and is very tough.

15. Cut it off and dry it. It can be stored for several years. When it is used, it will become soft and tough after being boiled with rice dumpling leaves.

16. Look at the rice dumplings I pack? 😄

17. This one is wrapped in the same way using only a bamboo shoot leaf. It's so ridged and beautiful! Can't help but praise myself😁

18. Go on another finished picture. (The one in the picture is dried Malan leaves)

19. Place all the rice dumplings in a big iron pot. According to the edges and corners of the zongzi, they are inserted and placed evenly and flat.

20. Then inject water. (It is best to press the heavy object first and then inject the water to prevent the placed zongzi from floating)

21. Cover the bamboo grate and press two stones on it to ensure that all the rice dumplings are completely immersed in water.

22. Use a large iron pot with wood fire, put it on a high fire, cover the pot and cook for 3 hours, stuffy for 1 hour. (If the zongzi is not cooked, you can add water and continue to cook for a longer time, it will not affect the taste of the zongzi)

23. Pinch out the cooked rice dumplings and drain the water.

24. The scent of rice dumplings filled the kitchen, and couldn't help but quickly peel off one.

25. Peel it to the plate and eat it with chopsticks. It won’t stick to your hands and your face😄

26. Open one, leaking out plump dates, jujube-colored glutinous rice, sweet taste, chewy glutinous rice, eat a mouthful of glutinous rice!

27. Another picture, is there any temptation to you? 😄

Tips:

The dates used for making zongzi generally use common red dates and processed candied dates that are peeled and pitted. I use Iraqi dates for zongzi, which is the most cost-effective.
Ordinary red dates have to spit out the skin and nucleus when they are eaten, and the nucleus is dangerous at both ends, and sometimes it is a tragedy to buy cooked and sour dates.
Not to mention the various additions and hygiene of artificially processed candied dates, the key taste is not good, and it is sweet and greasy.
The skin of Iraqi candied dates is softened after being cooked, and the nucleus of the date has a smooth surface without sharp ends, and the sweetness is moderate. It is recommended that interested friends can try.