Jun
5
2013

Grandma’s Home-made Nyonya Chang (dumpling)

That time of the year is approaching again with everyone busy making their own rice dumpling and showing them off on Facebook.  For the uninitiated ones such as me, we can only wish upon a star that some kind souls will be generous enough to give us some. Whenever we speak of rice dumplings, my memories will immediately be of my late Grandma’s home-made Nyonya Chang we fondly call Kueh Chang. I remembered when I was very young, maybe even younger than Ethan that we often look forward to her Kueh Chang. Her workmanship is so fine that I can’t find anyone else who can rival her as to date.  Where ever we were, (we were based in Lumut, Perak then) she’ll travel by bus from Malacca with this big box filled with her signature Nyonya Bak Chang for us.

My late Grandma left us a year ago but she stopped making her famous rice dumplings many years before that due to her deteriorating health. I relied on my aunts for some fragrant and savoury Nyonya Chang after that as my Mom did not inherit the skill of making Nyonya Rice Dumplings :(

Nyonya Bak Chang (dumpling)

Nyonya Bak Chang

Nyonyas use bunga telang for the blue hue on the rice dumplings. We do not use food colourings for that.

There is also another version of rice dumplings that I love, the Kueh Chang Abu we call it.

Nyonya Kueh Chang Abu

Kueh Chang Abu

Best taken dipped in gula Melaka, this kueh chang abu is also saved, cut into smaller pieces and sun dried to be added into red bean dessert. I remembered how tedious it is to make this. Every single grain of beras has to be removed from the pulut or else it will form a ‘hard spot’ on the dumpling once cooked. I used to dislike doing that as it can be very tiring but now, I’ll do it a hundred times if it means I can get some of these dumplings :(

This is the time of the year I missed my late Grandma the most…

23 Comments + Add Comment

  • //

    Merryn you know how to do or not? got recipe to share nyonya zhang? Is my all time fav. Hardly to get nowadays. I still remember when I was very small that time, there was a lady holding a big rotan basket selling fragrant nyonya zhang going door by door to sell. Once a while her daughter will tag along… After that I never see her anymore. Once a while, my salesperson from Melaka will brought some for us to try. Anyway, I still miss that lady’s Nyonya Zhang.

    • //

      Angeline,

      Unfortunately, this is something I do not know how to make. My mom never learn this from my late Grandma though my other aunts know how to make it. I won’t master the skill of folding the leaves and all. I’m not as patient as my late Grandma :(

  • //

    can you believe i never had nyonya bak chang before =.=”. we can find them in Penang though

    • //

      A foodie like you have not tried this? :O

  • //

    Oooo…nyonya ones, I super-duper like!!! Brought home lots of chang, smallkucing made and gave me…but not nyonya ones. Hmmmm…why you did not give me nyonya ones? No friend you liao…

    • //

      Arthur,

      I pun tarak, how to gip you? :(

  • //

    the sun-dried alkaline dumpling and added into the red bean soup definitely something new for me!

    • //

      Eh nice ooooo…. try it someday! :D

  • //

    So fast it is that time of the year for bak chang?? hehehe! I never catch up on those Chinese festival.

    • //

      Should be lah. I see SO MANY bak chang pics on my Facebook! -.-

  • //

    My late grandma was also a nyonya and she made heavenly nyonya rice dumplings too. Love the strong cumin aroma! As for the kueh chang abu, we like to eat it with kaya…yums!

    • //

      Haiz… miss them right? I dunno why but I dun like to take it with kaya. Always prefer with gula melaka only :D

  • //

    Love those nyonya chang with kacang inside and its very unfortunate like you said those usual old folks who made them are too old now to carry on making them.

    • //

      kacang? mine not kacang wan leh..

      • //

        Oh was referring to those nyonya chang in general where its mini size with lots of kacang.

  • //

    My hubby’s fave! I don’t know much bout nyonya Chang…pity hubby.

    • //

      Typical Malacca guy Aaron is! Haha!

  • //

    I’m soon going to show off soon too.. hahahaha… my aunt has been imported from Teluk Intan and they are in the midst of doing it in my house now!! hahaha

    • //

      Ish.. BLOCK me plese!! >_<

  • //

    I like that kueh chang abu dipped in yummy gula melaka! Delicious!

  • //

    I never try nyonya chang before. Is this type of chang abundant in KL? Can’t really fund it in Ipoh.

  • //

    Those dumplings look indeed good to me. I love nyonya bak chang also.

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I am a mother to two boys; Ethan and Ayden and a wife to Darling William. I'm a stay at home mum who blogs to break the monotony of life and to avoid feeling jaded. Would love to get to know all the Super Mommies and Daddies and Babies or Singles out there with the hope that we can learn more from each other. Most of all, I am a happy person, and I hope YOU are too.

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