Bring home the zongzi

Zong Zi

We have always been in awe of Po's capacity to devour baozi dumplings in the hit animation movie series Kung Fu Panda. The zongzi is another type of large dumpling made from sticky rice and a filling in its centre. After doing a commendable job with their sauces and curries, White Light Food recently launched a ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook Pan-Asian line beginning with vegetarian and non-vegetarian-filled zongzis.

Two rice dumplings come wrapped individually in bamboo leaves. All we have to do is steam them for five minutes and dig in. When we take it off the steam, the bamboo leaves fill our kitchen with a sweet aroma that also translates into the sticky rice and adds a depth in flavour. The centre of each dumpling is stuffed with a generous portion of filling. There is a side of sweet chilli sauce for the added punch. The basil paneer (Rs 250) has a fresh taste of the herb and the paneer is tender. We love the water chestnut (Rs 350) filling for its stir-fried coriander-soy base and nutty finish.

The sauce has a spicy finish and has soothing hints of sweetness. We crumble one of the dumplings into a bowl and it becomes a sticky rice bowl and that works too. A drizzle of the sweet chilli sauce, and it's a one-dumpling meal. After you've received the order at home, you can keep them in the fridge for up to three days. It is a great option to steam it on a day when you don't feel like cooking.

Log on to: wlf.co.in/onlineorder/