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Lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf)
Lo mai gai (糯米雞): glutinous rice with chicken, mushroom and lap cheong, steamed in a lotus leaf
Unfold the dried lotus leaf at a Hong Kong yum cha table and a cloud of tea-scented steam rises from a parcel of glossy sticky rice, hiding a centre of soy-braised chicken thigh, shiitake and slices of lap cheong, the sweet Chinese pork sausage. Teahouses from Sheung Wan to Mong Kok sell it from the morning trolleys, and office workers grab one as a filling breakfast with a pot of pu'er. The rice is chewy and sticky but each grain stays whole, and the leaf gives it a faint grassy perfume. Shaoxing rice wine goes into the filling; an alcohol-free swap is given in the ingredient list. The most common mistake is cooking the rice in water like plain rice: soaked glutinous rice must be steamed, or it turns into paste. Chef's tip: wrap the parcels tightly and steam them again from cold or frozen; they reheat better than almost any dim sum.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 14 oz glutinous ricesoaked in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 dried lotus leaveslarge; each cut in half to make 4 pieces
For the filling
- 10 ½ oz boneless chicken thighsskinless, cut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice winealcohol-free: use chicken stock with a few drops of rice vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 6 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked in hot water for 30 minutes, stems removed, quartered; keep the soaking water
- 2 lap cheong (Chinese pork sausage)about 100 g, sliced on the diagonal
- 2 tbsp dried shrimpsoaked for 15 minutes and drained
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Soak 2 dried lotus leaves in a large bowl of hot water, weighted with a plate, until soft and pliable. Rinse both sides, cut out the hard stem centre and pat dry.
30 minStep 2: Drain the soaked 14 oz glutinous rice well. Line a steamer basket with a damp cloth, spread the rice over it in an even layer and steam over a high heat until the grains are translucent and just tender, with a little bite in the centre.
25 minStep 3: While the rice steams, mix 10 ½ oz boneless chicken thighs with 1 ½ tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground white pepper. Leave it covered in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Tip the hot rice into a bowl and stir in 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, ½ tsp salt and 3 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking water until every grain is evenly tan. Let it cool until you can handle it.
Step 5: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 tbsp dried shrimp and 2 lap cheong (Chinese pork sausage) for 1 minute, until the sausage fat turns clear and smells sweet.
1 minStep 6: Add the chicken and 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until the chicken is sealed on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of mushroom water and simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy. The chicken finishes cooking in the parcels.
4 minStep 7: Lay a piece of lotus leaf shiny side down. With wet hands, spread an eighth of the rice into a rectangle in the middle, top with a quarter of the filling and its sauce, then cover with another eighth of rice and press it into a neat block.
Step 8: Fold the leaf over the rice like an envelope, bottom, sides, then top, to make a tight, flat parcel. Tie with kitchen string if the leaf springs open. Repeat to make 4 parcels.
Step 9: Steam the parcels, seam side down, over a high heat until they are piping hot all the way through and the chicken has reached 165°F in the centre. Top up the steamer with boiling water if it runs low.
30 minStep 10: Rest the parcels for 5 minutes, then serve them whole so each person opens their own at the table. The leaf is not eaten.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf) take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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