This stir-fried Chinese sticky rice (Lo Mai Fan) produces the perfect texture and is bursting with aroma, making for a wonderful one-pan meal.
Jump to:
What is Lo Mai Fan
Rice plays an irreplaceable role in Chinese cuisine. Apart from regular white rice which is often made into plain steamed rice or congee, glutinous rice (aka sticky rice or sweet rice) is another popular choice, usually cooked with various flavorful ingredients.
Today’s recipe, Lo Mai Fan/糯米饭, or simply Chinese sticky rice, is a Cantonese classic dish. It’s crafted with glutinous rice, Chinese sausages, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and a blend of essential Chinese seasonings.
Don’t confuse it with my recipe for Chinese Sausage Rice, which calls for regular white rice, or Lo Mai Gai/糯米鸡, where chicken is the primary protein and it’s wrapped in lotus leaves for steaming.
Two cooking methods
There are two popular ways to make Lo Mai Fan:
- The first method involves cooking the rice on its own, then combining it with other ingredients that have been stir-fried separately.
- The second method, known as Sheng Chao/生炒 (meaning “raw stir-frying”) involves stir-frying uncooked rice along with other ingredients in a single pan.
I prefer the second technique for my recipe, as it produces the rice texture I like best: the grains are slightly sticky yet not mushy, clinging together while still offering a pleasant bite.
Top tips
To achieve optimal results, please pay attention to these helpful tips:
- Allow time to soak the dry ingredients beforehand
- Use the shiitake and dried shrimp soaking water as stock
- Stir-fry with non-stick cookware
- Taste and adjust as you cook to gain the perfect texture
Ingredients
Here is a full list of ingredients you need for this dish and their substitutes when possible:
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is also known as sticky rice or sweet rice. Despite the name, it is, just like regular rice, gluten-free. The term “glutinous” describes its sticky texture when well cooked (Think of Zongzi/sticky rice dumplings). For this recipe, you may use both the long-grain and short-grain varieties.
To ensure quick and even cooking, remember to soak glutinous rice beforehand, either overnight or for at least 6 hours. Drain well.
Chinese sausage
Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong/腊肠) provides a distinctive flavor profile to the dish: savory, aromatic, smoky, winey, and sweet. It can be substituted with Chinese cured pork belly (Lap Yuk/腊肉). Or, use both for the most authentic taste if you’re lucky enough to source them.
To soften, soak the sausages in hot water for 3 minutes. Then dice them into small pieces.
Dried shiitake & dried shrimp
Dried shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp (or dried scallops) are two other flavor contributors, offering intense umami tastes that are truly appealing.
Before cooking, both ingredients require rehydration. Soak dried shiitake in cold water overnight or in hot water for 30 minutes. For dried shrimp, a 10-minute soak in hot water suffices.
Afterward, chop the mushrooms into small pieces to match the size of the sausages and coarsely cut the shrimp to enhance flavor release.
🌟 NOTE: Don’t discard the soaking water from the mushrooms and dried shrimp. It’s full of flavor and serves as an excellent stock for the dish.
Other ingredients
- Aromatics: garlic and scallions
- Seasonings: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, white pepper, salt, and sugar.
- Roasted peanuts: they add a nice crunchy and nutty aroma
- Neutral cooking oil: such as sunflower, rapeseed, canola, vegetable oil
Cooking process
Over medium-high heat, heat oil in a non-stick wok (or a large skillet, casserole. Begin by sizzling garlic, the white and light green parts of the scallions, and Chinese sausages until you smell the aroma and the fatty part of the sausages turn translucent.
Next, add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and shrimp, and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
The drained glutinous rice goes in next. Toss well to allow the grains to be thoroughly coated in the flavored oil.
Pour in all the seasonings (ideally mixed before you start cooking). Mix well with the rice.
Turn the heat down to low (this is really important!). Add about ½ cup of the combined mushroom and shrimp soaking liquid.
Toss, then cover with a lid and leave to steam for about 3 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice looks dry.
Add another ½ cup of soaking liquid (or water, if you fall short) and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, covered. Repeat the process once more.
Then, taste the rice. The grains should be tender and slightly sticky yet firm to the bite, similar to the ‘al dente‘ texture of properly cooked Italian pasta. If necessary, add more liquid and cook a little longer.
Once the rice achieves the desired texture, stir in roasted peanuts and the remaining scallions to finish.
Serve the dish
Restaurants often present this Chinese sticky rice dish in a dome shape for a more appealing appearance, similar to the way Steamed Pork Belly or Eight Treasure Rice Pudding is served.
To achieve this, scoop the dish into a large bowl and press it down with a spatula to ensure it fits snugly.
Place a plate on top of the bowl, then flip them over together. Gently lift the bowl to reveal the beautifully shaped dish.
This serving style isn’t compulsory though. You may simply transfer the dish to a large plate or small serving bowls.
Enjoy it on its own, or add a dash of hot sauce (e.g. Chinese Chili Oil) to spice it up. For pairing ideas, try serving a light soup on the side, such as Classic Egg Drop Soup, Tofu & Veggie Soup, or Tomato and Egg Soup.
Other one-pot meals
Looking for other delicious ways to produce one-pot meals? Check out these recipes:
📋 Recipe
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider leaving a comment as well!
Chinese Sticky Rice (Lo Mai Fan/糯米饭)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cup glutinous rice - aka sticky rice, sweet rice (see note 1)
- 6 piece dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tablespoon dried shrimp
- 3 link Chinese sausages - or Chinese cured pork belly (see note 2)
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For stir-frying
- 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 3 clove garlic - coarsely minced
- 3 stalk scallions - finely chopped
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
Prepare dry ingredients
- Glutinous rice: Soak it in cold water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain well.
- Shiitake mushrooms: Rehydrate them in cold water overnight, or in hot water for 30 minutes until they become soft. Squeeze out water then dice them. Keep the soaking water for later use.
- Dried shrimp: Soak it in hot water for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop them small. Keep the soaking water for later use.
- Chinese sausages: Soak them in hot water for 3 minutes to soften. Quarter each piece lengthways, then dice into small cubes.
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Stir-fry the dish
- Heat oil in a wok, or a large skillet/casserole (preferably with a non-stick coating) over medium-high heat. Add garlic, the white and light green part of the scallions, and Chinese sausages. Sizzle until the aromatics become fragrant and the sausages turn a little translucent.
- Put in shiitake mushroom, dried shrimp. Stir-fry for a minute or so. Then add drained glutinous rice. Toss to coat all the grains with the oil. Pour in the sauce mixture, then stir to evenly distribute.
- Turn the heat to low. Combine the water in which the mushroom and dried shrimp are rehydrated, then pour about ½ cup of it into the rice. Mix well, then cover with a lid. Leave to steam for about 3 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the rice appears dry.
- Add another ½ cup of the soaking liquid (use water if not enough). Mix, cover, then let cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat the above procedure one more time.
- Taste the rice to determine if you need to repeat the process again. The grains should be cooked but not overly sticky, with a slight firmness in the middle (think of the al dente texture Italian pasta should have).
- Add roasted peanuts and the remaining scallions. Give everything a quick stir, then dish out.
Video
NOTES
NUTRITION
NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.
LEAVE A REVIEW