Facsimile Food

I love making what I call facsimile food. This is food that looks like and sort of tastes like something famous or special. I don't really have the time or ability to make the real thing, but the verisimilitude is usually more than satisfying.

It's now the Rice Dumpling season in Singapore. And I had a sudden craving for these glutinous rice delights. Cost: About $1.50 for a rice dumpling filled with meat. I decided to make my own. I had most of the vital ingredients. Only had to buy a pack of glutinous rice. $3.35 for a 2.5kg pack, NTUC house bnand.

Ther are lots of variations. the ingredients I used:

300g glutinous rice
50g dried prawns or hay bee
20g dried scallops or conpoy
3 dried shitake mushrooms
1 piece BBQ pork

I had the last 4 ingredients at home. You can also add fresh prawns or pork, dried chestnuts, salted egg yolk, chicken, preserved melon, chinese sausages etc.

Method.

1. Wash rice, and then soak in water for 2 hours.

2. Steam the rice till cooked. 15 to 30 mins?

3. Wash and soak dried prawns, scallops and mushrooms. Cut mushroom into small pieces.

4. Cut BBQ pork into small bits.

5. Fry items 3 amd 4 in oil a bit. Add the soaking water and bring to a boil.

6. Mix steamed rice with item 5. Steam again for a few minutes. Ready to eat.

7. You can also put item 6 onto lotus, bamboo or pandan leaves to resteam in order to make the rice dumpling bundles. More fragrant and authentic. But more trouble too.

The ingredients are kind of salty already, but you might want to add extra seasoning: salt, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine? Experiment and surprise yourself and your guests!

Total cost: No more than $3.00 Yield: At least 8 Dumplings' worth.
Real yummy too. Enjoy.