Exclusive Leaf Cake

Fresh bamboo leaves are also great for making zongzi, and for pomelo leaves and orange leaves, choose ones that are tender and a bit larger.

A clump of banana leaves, also choose the fresher ones, any leftovers.

Zizhong Dongjian, of course, using Yibin sprouts is also fine. Ye’er Ba is originally a snack from Yibin, and Luzhou was previously a county under Yibin.

Dongjian is very fragrant, and its aroma is different from that of Yibin bean sprouts.

Rinse and clean thoroughly, wash several times until the water is clear, pull out the moisture, remove old bones, chop into pieces and then mince finely.

It should have a granular texture.

Hind leg meat, corn husks, scallions.

The meat should be skinned, sinew removed, and fat separated.

Chop the fat and lean meat separately, and there should still be a granular texture; don’t chop it so finely that it turns into meatball-like paste.

Green onions, ginger, and garlic.

Finely chop the green onions and ginger, and cut the green onions into flower shapes.

Add a little oil to the pan, put in the tips of the preserved vegetables and stir-fry until the moisture is gone. Once dry and fragrant, remove and set aside.

Put the minced fatty meat directly into the pan and sauté over medium heat.

I like it a bit dry, cooked a little longer. If you don't like it dry, you can cook it a little less.

Pour out excess oil; for those that release little oil when stir-fried for a short time, this step can be directly skipped, without pouring out oil.

Add ginger and garlic.

Add the minced lean meat and stir-fry with a big spoonful of yellow wine.

Stir-fry until aromatic and the oil is released, add a spoonful of sweet bean sauce, then add a little dark soy sauce for coloring.

Stir-fry evenly, add some Thirteen Spices, then add a bit of sugar to enhance the flavor.

After stir-frying evenly, add the preserved vegetables.

Stir-fry evenly again, then season. If it’s too bland, add a little light soy sauce, mix well, and turn off the heat. Add Sichuan pepper powder and chicken bouillon, mix evenly, then serve and let it cool.

After cooling, add chopped green onions, mix evenly, and then refrigerate to allow the filling to solidify, turning it once in between to ensure even solidification.

Handle the leaves. Corn husks are clean and don't need to be soaked in water, but the ones I picked up are a bit dirty, so I also washed them. Scrub all the leaves on both sides with a loofah sponge, then rinse twice, drain the water, and cut the bamboo leaves and corn husks to the desired size.

Only a portion of the banana leaves was taken, also cleaned thoroughly, and torn or cut into the approximate size desired.

Add water and a little salt to the pot. After it boils, add bamboo leaves and corn husks, and cook over medium heat for five minutes before removing.

After the water boils again, turn off the heat, add the other three types of leaves, blanch for about twenty seconds, then take them out.

Drain the water.

Corn husks can be soaked in water for a while and then dried.

Soak the rice a day in advance, and then blend it with water to make a slurry. The ratio of glutinous rice flour to rice flour is 5:2. If you don't have time to buy rice flour, soaking some rice yourself and making the slurry is also feasible.

Strain it after beating.

The filtered rice slurry can be used to make steamed sponge cakes.

Add glutinous rice flour, and according to the amount of flour, add more water if needed.

After kneading into a slightly drier dough, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for half an hour.

Take a portion of dough, roll it into a ball, then press it into a hollow shape; it must be pressed into a hollow shape, otherwise you won't be able to fit much filling! Close it like making a tangyuan, and you can have a bowl of water nearby. If the dough is too dry to seal, just add a bit more dough to the area you want to close, and a little water will make it easier to shape into a ball.

After gathering it together, roll it into strips, take a leaf to wrap it, and then place them in the pot. Use bigger leaves for bigger pieces, and smaller leaves for smaller pieces.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then steam over medium heat for ten minutes, that's enough. Once steamed, it can be served immediately.

Chubby and plump.

From near to far are yuzu leaves, bamboo leaves, corn husks, banana leaves, and orange leaves.

This morning I tried three flavors: the corn husk had no taste, the bamboo leaves had a slight fresh fragrance, and the pomelo leaves were the most fragrant, very pleasant.