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Lo Mai Gai 糯米雞 (Chinese Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf)

Lo Mai Gai 糯米雞 is a classic Chinese dim sum dish featuring steamed glutinous sticky rice with pieces of chicken and various meats wrapped in fragrant lotus leaf.
Course Dim Sum, Main Course
Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 8
Calories 568kcal
Author Michelle

Ingredients

For wrapping:

  • 8 dried lotus leaves

Glutinous sticky rice:

  • 600 g (4 rice cups) long grain glutinous rice rinsed and drained
  • 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ C (30g) dried shrimp rinsed and soaked in water for 20 minutes

Seasoning sauce for the rice:

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 250-300 ml water or to your preference

Fillings:

Chinese/shiitake mushrooms:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil + extra for brushing
  • 2 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon shallots minced
  • 6 Chinese/shiitake mushrooms soaked and cut into thick slices
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Ground pork:

  • 200 g lean ground pork or sub with siu yuk/char siu, cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or white pepper

Chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts 400g, cut into 16 pieces
  • 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
  • ½ teaspoon tapioca starch
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Slurry for the meat:

  • 3 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 6 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Salted eggs/duck eggs:

  • 4 salted duck egg yolks cut into half

Instructions

Prepare the dried lotus leaves:

  • Fill a wok or large pot with water and bring to a boil.
  • Turn off heat and add in the dried lotus leaves (8 large leaves) soak for 5 minutes.
  • Gently rinse lotus leaves under tap water. (Note: lotus leaves are very fragile).
  • Blot with paper towel.
  • Trim off the broken edges of the leaves and the stem. Set aside.

Prepare the glutinous sticky rice:

  • To an electric rice cooker, add in the rinsed and drained glutinous rice.
  • Add enough water (appx 450ml) until it reaches the 4 C marking in the rice cooker.
  • Let rice sit in the cooker and soak for 1 hour.
  • Place 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong) in with the rice.
  • Cook the rice for 50-60 minutes.
  • Remove the Chinese sausages (lap cheong) and cut each sausage into into 4 portions, for a total of 8 pieces and set aside.
  • Heat a wok over medium high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
  • Sauté the dried shrimp until fragrant, a few minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked shrimp into the rice.

Prepare the rice seasoning sauce:

  • Combine the sea salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and water into a bowl.
  • Stir and give it a mix. Set aside.

Season the rice:

  • When the rice is cooked, transfer it out to a large bowl.
  • Pour the seasoning sauce slowly into the rice and mix well, until the rice is moistened to your liking.
  • Level the rice and divide into 8 equal portions. Set aside.

Cook the fillings:

  • Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a wok heated over high heat and stir fry shallots and garlic until golden.
  • Add in mushrooms, soy sauce and sugar and stir fry until fragrant.
  • Next, add in ground pork, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and black/white pepper and continue to sauté until cooked.
  • Add in the chicken, light soy sauce, black pepper, dark soy sauce, granulated sugar, Shaoxing wine, tapioca starch and sesame oil. Continue to saute until chicken is almost cooked through.
  • In a bowl, combine the slurry ingredients: cornstarch, water, oyster sauce and sesame oil.
  • Pour the slurry into the meat mixture, and cook for another 2 minutes, until thickened.
  • Transfer the filling mixture into a bowl.

Assemble the lo mai gai:

  • Place lotus leaves with the vein side facing the exterior.
  • Lightly grease a bowl with vegetable oil.
  • Fill ½ a portion of rice in the bowl and flatten with a spatula.
  • Transfer the rice onto the lotus leaf.
  • Make a little indent in the rice and add 1 portion of filling (mushroom, chicken, ground pork, Chinese sausage, salted egg yolk) to the center.
  • Cover the filling with the remaining ½ portion of rice on top.
  • Gather the edges of the lotus leaf and wrap the rice into a neat square bundle.
  • Repeat with the remainder.

Steam:

  • Arrange the lotus leaf bundles into a steamer, filled with water.
  • Cover with a lid and steam on high heat for 30 minutes.
  • Unfold the lotus leaves and enjoy the sticky rice while hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 1430mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg