Hakka Ban Zong (Rice Dumpling)

Hakka Ban Zong is not your typical sticky rice dumpling.

Soft and chewy rice dough wrapped around savory fillings like preserved radish, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and tofu, each bite is filled with nostalgic homemade flavor. Besides traditional sticky rice dumplings and alkaline rice dumplings, the Hakka people also have another beloved Dragon Boat Festival rice dish called Hakka Ban Zong. This version uses glutinous rice flour and rice flour to create a soft and chewy rice dough. Steamed in bamboo leaves, it carries a gentle leaf aroma with a chewy outer layer and savory filling that feels simple, comforting, and nostalgic.

Hakka Ban Zong recipes can vary from region to region and from family to family. This is the version our family grew up with, lovingly passed down from my mother. Even while living overseas, this remains one of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival dishes we make every year at home.

Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients

Hakka Ban Zong (12 pieces)

Dough Ingredients

350 g glutinous rice flour**
100 g rice flour
15 g sugar
~280 g water*

*Adjust according to the water absorption capacity of the rice flour.

**Using rice flour (indica rice flour) gives the Ban Zong a chewier and more springy texture. Using ponlai rice flour will result in a softer texture.

Filling Ingredients

80 g preserved radish, diced
15 g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked
20 g dried shrimp, soaked
200 g pork, diced
110 g firm tofu, diced
80 g shallots

Seasonings

2 tbsp rice wine
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp soy paste
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp fried shallots
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp cooking oil

Other

24 bamboo leaves*
12 cotton strings
Cooking oil as needed

*This recipe uses commercially packaged fresh bamboo leaves. If using dried bamboo leaves, soak and boil them until softened before wrapping.

Fillings Preparation

1. Rinse and drain the preserved radish.
2. Finely chop the shallots. Dice the soaked shiitake mushrooms. Dice the firm tofu.
3. Heat a pan without oil and stir fry the preserved radish until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
4. Add cooking oil and sauté shallots until golden and aromatic. Add diced pork and cook until lightly browned and releasing oil. Add mushrooms, dried shrimp, preserved radish, and tofu. Stir fry until fragrant.
5. Season with rice wine, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, and thick soy paste.
6. Add 3 tbsp water and simmer briefly. Stir in fried shallots. Remove and let cool completely.

Bamboo Leaves Preparation

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add bamboo leaves and cotton strings with a little cooking oil.

2. Boil for about 3 minutes, then drain well. Trim the ends of the bamboo leaves if needed.

Dough Preparation

1. Make the starter dough: Mix 40 g glutinous rice flour with 32 g water and flatten into a disc.
2. Cook in boiling water until it floats. Remove and set aside.
3. Combine glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and sugar. Add the cooked starter dough.
4. Gradually add water while mixing, then add a little cooking oil. Knead into a smooth dough and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Ban Zong Wrapping - Steaming

1. Divide the dough evenly into 12 portions.
2. Roll one portion into a ball and flatten into a small bowl shape. Add filling, seal the dough, and roll smooth.
3. Place 2 bamboo leaves overlapping with the smooth side facing up. Fold about two thirds upward to form a cone shape.
4. Lightly coat the filled dough ball with a thin layer of oil before placing into the bamboo leaves.
5. Hold the dumpling shape with one hand while folding the leaves over with the other. Fold both sides downward and tuck excess leaves along the side.
6. Tie securely with cotton string.
7. Arrange the wrapped Ban Zong in a steamer. Bring water to a boil before placing the steamer over the pot.
8. Steam over medium high heat for 10 minutes and briefly open the lid once. Continue steaming for another 15 minutes until fully cooked.
9. Let cool slightly before serving for the best chewy texture and aroma.