Kee Chang
Kee Chang - plain, with no filling, just the simple taste of Kee with a drizzle of gula melaka or coconut palm syrup. Simple bite-sized bliss.
Servings: 45 bite-sized Kee Chang
Ingredients
- 1 kg glutinous rice
- 30 g lye or kee dissolved in 50ml boiling water or 2 tbsp alkaline water
- 2 tbsp oil
- 100 - 120 dry bamboo leaves (Length ~ 35 - 45cm, width ~ 8cm)
- Bamboo twines for tying the Chang
Instructions
Preparing the leaves
- After soaking, wash the leaves and twines thoroughly. Cut the twines into short lengths for tying the Chang.
- Snip off the hard stems and brown tips of the leaves. Finally using a towel, clean both sides of the leaves to remove any dirt. Leaves should feel clean and not slimy.
- Check and discard broken or torn leaves. Once cleaned and snipped, drain and set aside.
Preparing the glutinous rice
- Wash the glutinous rice. Once cleaned, soak overnight
- Rinse the soaked rice and drain the water completely. Add 2 tbsp alkaline water or the dissolved lye and 2 tbsp oil. Mix thoroughly and let the rice marinate for an hour before wrapping.
Wrapping the Chang ( See Notes)
- Feel the two sides of the leaves. The stem protrudes on one side but is smooth and flat on the other. Smooth side should be the contact side with the rice
- Using two leaves, fold midway and make a cone.
- Fill the cone with 2 tbsp until 90% full. Tap gently to compact the rice
- Fold in the sides and bring the long end of the leaves over the rice to make a triangle.
- Hold firmly and take your time to make a nice compact triangle. Adjust if necessary.
- Once you have formed a neatly packed triangle, secure firmly with a twine. Repeat until rice is completely used up.
Cooking the Chang
- Place the Chang in a large deep pot and submerge fully in water. Bring the water to a boil, then cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on low heat.
- To see if the Chang is cooked, unwrap one and check if the inside is soft. If it is hard and the rice falls apart easily, boil them till soft (for another 15 – 30 minutes).
- Once cooked, remove from the pot and drain well. The Kee Chang is too soft to eat immediately. Cool completely and let it sit for a day. It will firm up nicely and be the perfect texture.
Video
Notes
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#1 Preparing the Leaves
Make sure the leaves are submerged
Lotsa grime & dirt - wash well
Check leaves for discards
Using a small towel is a great help
Clean, shiny and all ready!
#2 De-constructing the wrapping process (or watch the step-by-step recipe video!)
Protruding side (top) vs Smooth side (bottom)
Don't overfill ...
Sides first, then long end ...
Important to form a compact triangle
Nicely secured
#3 Storage
Once the Kee Chang is cooked, it can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. It keeps well chilled in the fridge for 7 days or alternatively the Kee Chang can be frozen and keeps fresh for 6-8 weeks. To consume, steam it from frozen for 15-20 minutes or until well softened, then drizzle with a little coconut palm syrup and enjoy.
- Rehydrate dry bamboo leaves well before use. Soak them in boiling water and overnight. The dry leaves will turn a deep green when they are rehydrated.
Make sure the leaves are submerged
- The leaves and twines need to be properly cleaned and washed, so wash thoroughly.
Lotsa grime & dirt - wash well
- Snip off the hard tips and discard torn leaves.
Check leaves for discards
- I find it easy to clean the leaves with a towel. Wash gently both sides with a small towel to remove the dust and dirt.
Using a small towel is a great help
- The leave should feel clean and not slimy after washing.
Clean, shiny and all ready!
#2 De-constructing the wrapping process (or watch the step-by-step recipe video!)
- Feel the two sides of the leaves. The stem protrudes on one side but is smooth and flat on the other. Smooth side should be the contact side with the rice.
Protruding side (top) vs Smooth side (bottom)
- Use two leaves to get more surface area wrapping the Chang. Take a pair of leaves, fold it midway and make a cone.
- Fill the cone with glutinous rice until 90% filled. Compact the rice gently with the spoon.
Don't overfill ...
- Fold in the sides first, then bring the long end of the leaves downwards to fully cover the rice and make a triangle.
Sides first, then long end ...
- Take your time to make a nice compact triangular Chang. It needs to be compact or the rice will ‘escape’ when the Chang is cooked in water and it will be a fail. So give time for this part to properly make a tight compact triangle.
Important to form a compact triangle
- Once the triangle is nicely formed, tie firmly with a twine to secure the shape. Practice makes perfect. Do this a few times and you will get the hang of it.
Nicely secured
#3 Storage
Once the Kee Chang is cooked, it can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. It keeps well chilled in the fridge for 7 days or alternatively the Kee Chang can be frozen and keeps fresh for 6-8 weeks. To consume, steam it from frozen for 15-20 minutes or until well softened, then drizzle with a little coconut palm syrup and enjoy.