Shortcut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi)

Instructions

1. Soak the uncooked sticky rice overnight (or at least 6 hours). Soak the dried bamboo leaves for at least 3 hours (or overnight). After soaking, wash and rinse each leaf front and back, keeping them in a large bowl or tub of water so they don’t dry out.
2. Cut the pork belly into ½ inch bite-sized pieces, marinate it with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon white pepper. Marinate for 1 – 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Soak the peanuts for 1 hour. Then boil for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside.
4. Drain the soaked sticky rice completely. Mix the rice with 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
5. Add the peanuts to the rice along with the Chinese sausages and scallions. (If adding cooked salted duck egg yolks and/or soaked dried seafood, you can mix them into the rice as well).
6. Line a bamboo steamer (or large shallow heatproof bowl) with 6-7 bamboo leaves. These bamboo leaves will provide flavor to the rice as well as prevent it from sticking. All with a layer of rice mixture, a layer of pork belly, another layer of rice mixture, and a layer of pork belly on top. Make sure everything is evenly distributed (so it can cook evenly).
7. Cover the mixture with the remaining bamboo leaves to trap in moisture as well as the bamboo leaf aroma. If using a bamboo steamer, you can simply put on the cover. If using a heatproof bowl to steam, you can use a toothpick to keep the bamboo leaves in place on top of the rice.
8. Place the rice in the steamer, starting with cold water. Turn on the heat to high, and once the water starts to boil, steam for 60-90 minutes. Check periodically to make sure there is still water in the steamer, and add hot water if needed.
9. Keep in the steamer on low heat until ready to serve. The rice will harden if cooled. Serve hot!