Machang, Machang, Machang...

seasoned sticky rice filled with pork belly, chestnuts, shiitake,
Chinese sausage, and crispy-fried shallots and garlic

After posting the semi-authentic recipe for Machang 3 ½ years ago, I never visited my page again until I was told of the plagiarist. I admit the shaping is wrong and maybe the procedure is too which I pointed out on the first sentence. Machang suddenly became a mini obssession for me. I searched for a Filipino recipe online, still no luck, but recipes for Chinese sticky rice dimsum called zongzi are aplenty. And there are several shapes, seasonings, and fillings, including desserts, depending on the region and country; Malaysia has its own Nyonya Chang; take note of the name. Well, if there are many versions, then I guess I can create my own seasonings, shape it the traditional way, cook and wrap them in banana leaves just like the ones in Binondo, Manila. I love this machang; they came pretty close in flavor and texture to the ones I had in the Philippines.

Machang
recipe adapted from here

2 cups glutinous rice, soaked in water overnight and drained
1 tablespoon light olive oil
12 fresh shiitake, sliced into 4 pieces
1 pound roast pork belly, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots
2 tablespoons crispy fried shaved garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
4 Chinese sausages, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 100gm packet roasted chestnuts, whole or halved
5-inch wide banana leaves
kitchen twine cut into 24-inch lengths

• In a large pan or wok, heat oil and saute mushrooms. Add pork belly and saute for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, and 5 spice powder. Cook for 2 minutes, add the sesame seed oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork and mushrooms into a large bowl; leave the liquid in the pan.
  
• To the pork belly, mix in the shallots, garlic, chestnuts, and sausages, set aside.
  
• Add the rice to the pan and stir cook until rice is partially cooked.
  
• Take 2 leaves and overlap the soft sides by 4 inches. Make a cone with the leaves and support the bottom with your palm. Spoon 2 tablespoons of rice, tamp gently, then add the meat mixture; top with more rice, tamp to even the top. Fold the upper leaf down, bring together and fold, or trim excess if preferred. Tie with strings. Steam in rapidly boiling water for 1 hour.

Or watch this video from the same site on how to fill and shape machang/zongzi

Pinaputok na Pompano

deep fried banana leaf-wrapped pompano

green mango mixed with spicy shrimp paste

Sometimes Filipino cuisine confuses me or maybe just the names of the dishes like pinaputok na isda (exploded or popped deep-fried fish). I've made this fish dish twice already following the recipe from KULINARYA guidebook. The fish is simply seasoned, wrapped in banana leaves, and deep fried. The fish does not pop nor make a popping sound while being cooked although the leaves make a few crackling sound. The fried fish doesn't become brown or crispy and almost looks like it was steamed. It's not greasy at all and has a nice flavor from the leaves; I like it specially with a relish of green mango mixed with spicy shrimp paste.