Vegan Zongzi (Sticky Rice Dumpling)
This Vegan Zongzi recipe is the perfect way to enjoy classic Sticky Rice Dumplings without meat! It's filled with flavourful mushrooms, peanuts, and sticky rice. This delicious dish is vegan, gluten-free, and only calls for a few simple ingredients.
Servings: 6 -10 zongzi
Ingredients
- 20-30 dry bamboo leaves for wrapping
- 3 cups short grain sweet glutinous rice
- 1/2 lb dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts
- mushroom seasoning
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp five spice
Instructions
- Ingredient Prep
- Start by soaking your ingredients the night before. Add the rice to a large bowl and cover with filtered water, cover the peanuts with water in another smaller bowl and in one more bowl, cover the dried mushrooms with water. In a large bowl or pan, cover your bamboo leaves with water and place a bowl or heavy object on top to submerge them in the water.
- Once ready to assemble, drain the rice and add tamari and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine and set aside.
- Give your peanuts a quick boil for 5 minutes, then set drain and set aside.
- To prepare your mushrooms, drain and squeeze out any excess water. Add the mushrooms to a small saucepan with sesame oil, then add all remaining ingredients and toss to evenly coat. Once the sauce has been absorbed, remove from the pan and cut into bite sized chunks.
- Finally, to prepare your bamboo leaves, remove them from the water and gently scrub both sides to remove any debris and dirt. Return the leaves into a fresh container of water to sit while you assemble. If you find your leaves to be tough, you can boil them to help soften them further.
- Assembly
- To assemble the zongzi, start by making a cone shape with one bamboo leaf. Hold it tightly in your left hand and add a spoonful of rice. Wrap another bamboo leaf around the front edge of your cone to elongate the walls and give you extra height to work with.
- Add in your fillings (I like to add about 1-2 tbsp of mushrooms and peanuts) followed by more rice to top it off.
- Gently fold the edge of the cone closest to you away from you and press down. Then fold each side inwards and finally fold the top down to close the cone. Holding it tightly, wrap with cotton string and secure.
- Cooking the Zongzi
- To cook your zonzgi, you want to add it to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil, then let simmer for 2-3 hours.
- You'll want to continuously top it off with hot water to ensure that the zongzi is always submerged, so using a hot water kettle is the easiest way to do this.
- Alternatively, you can pressure cook your zongzi for about 45 minutes.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- Bamboo leaves. Please do your best to find bamboo leaves for this. Banana leaves may work in a pinch, but it’s highly recommended to find the bamboo leaf. You can find them sold dry at most Asian grocery stores.
- Cotton string. You want to use cotton string or twine and make sure it's something that can withstand boiling water. You absolutely need this in order to keep your dumplings nice and tight in the bamboo leaf.
- Steamer basket. This is optional, but I highly recommend it for re-heating Zongzi once ready to enjoy.
- Ingredients: My best recommendation is to check out your local Chinese grocery store, Chinatown, or general Asian markets.
Serving Tips
- When you're ready to eat zongzi, you can wrap it with a damp paper towel or kitchen cloth and microwave or steam it in a steamer basket until warm through.
- Peel open the leaves to reveal your delicious rice, and enjoy!
Storage Tips
- Because these are quite a labour of love to make, I usually end up with leftovers, and I like to freeze them for future enjoyment.
- They can stay in the freezer in an airtight container for about 3-4 months or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.