Chinese Sticky Rice Food

CHINESE RESTAURANT-STYLE STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Place rice in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Rinse under running water, swishing with hands until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
• Bring rinsed rice, water, and salt to boil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until water level drops below surface of rice and small holes form, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and water is fully absorbed, about 15 minutes. Serve.

CHINESE STICKY RICE RECIPES-TWO WAYS

Steps:

• Soak the sticky rice in clean water for around 4 hours. Drain and set aside.
• Spread the rice on a wide plate..Set up the steamer and steam the sticky rice around 20 minutes until half cooked.

CHINESE STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Do ahead: Rehydrate dried Shiitake mushrooms by soaking in warm water for about 1 hour. Drain well and chop. Set aside.
• Drain: Drain soaked rice and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• Heat: Heat up a heavy large pot (I use my largest All-Clad) with 1 TB oil until hot. Add ginger and stir fry for a minute. Add Chinese sausage and Shiitake mushrooms, stir frying for another minute. Add in rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and rice. Stir to coat thoroughly. Add broth, stir to incorporate, and bring to a boil.
• Simmer: Once it reaches a boil, immediately reduce to simmer. Cover tightly and cook 45 minutes. Turn heat off and let it sit for at least 10 minutes, covered. Do not peak!
• Stir and Stand: Carefully stir cooked sticky rice, from bottom to top throughout. Cover and let stand another 10 minutes before serving.
• Garnish and Serve: Garnish with freshly sliced scallions, if desired. Chopped cilantro or chives work well, too.

STICKY RICE WITH CHINESE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cover rice with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water.
• Soak mushrooms in warm water 30 minutes, then drain, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and discard liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then discard stems and coarsely chop caps. 3Quarter sausages lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add peanut oil and heat, swirling in wok, until just smoking. Add ginger and scallion and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sausage and stir-fry 1 minute, then add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper and remove from heat. Add drained rice and stir to coat.
• Transfer mixture to a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot and add broth (broth will not completely cover rice). Bring to a simmer, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes more, then remove from heat. Stir from bottom to distribute ingredients and let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.
• *Available at Asian markets and Kam Man Food Products (212-571-0330).

CHINESE STICKY RICE (NUOMI FAN)

Steps:

• 1) In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, until softened. In a 6-quart stockpot, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and jasmine rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover.
• 2) When softened, drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut off and discard stems and chop the caps.
• 3) Chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.
• 4) Heat large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and barbecued pork, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.
• 5) Drain rice. Add chicken broth and enough the reserved mushrooms liquid to measure 1 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy.

SHIITAKE STICKY RICE

Steps:

• In a hot pan, saute garlic and ginger in a little canola oil. Check for seasoning. Add shiitakes and cook until soft. In a bowl, mix hot rice with shiitakes. Form triangles with hands.;
• Wash rice until water is clear. Cover rice with cold water and vanilla extract and soak overnight. Drain rice and place in steamer lined with banana leaf or cheesecloth. If using leaf, make sure there is a 2 to 3-inch circle in the middle and small holes punched out. This will allow steam to pass through the leaf. Steam on high heat for 45 minutes, rice should be fully cooked but not mushy.

RICE COOKER CHINESE STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Place dried mushrooms in a bowl with hot water and let soak for at least 2 hours until softened. (See note below)
• Run cold water through the rice in a strainer. Stir the rice with your hand to wash and rinse it well until the water is mostly running clear.
• Soak the rice in a bowl of water for at least 2 hours.
• Combine the 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari), 1 teaspoon grated ginger, minced garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon tapioca starch, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a bowl and mix well to make the sauce. Set aside.
• Drain the rice through a colander, discarding the water.
• Remove mushrooms from soaking liquid and gently squeeze out some of the water. Cut of and discard tough stems. Cut mushroom caps into slices or chunks.
• Slice Chinese sausages into disks.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add Chinese sausage and ground pork and cook until pork is mostly cooked through.
• Add mushrooms and sauce to the pan and stir. Heat through.
• Add shrimp and cook until just starting to turn pink and remove from heat.
• Transfer Chinese sausage mixture to the rice cooker pot and level out.
• Add drained rice on top and level out.
• Add 1 1/4 cups water to the rice cooker.
• Cook until rice cooker button pops, or for about 25 minutes. Let sit for another 5-10 minutes. Rice should be completely cooked and slightly translucent.
• Fluff rice with chopsticks, stirring well to mix the rice and filling ingredients.
• Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

STEAMED CHINESE STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Drain the dried shrimp and scallops. Shred the scallops so that you can distribute them throughout the sticky rice. If the scallops are still too firm to shred, leave them whole and don't worry about the shredding. They'll soften completely after they steam with the sticky rice.
• Heat a wok or sauté pan with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1/4 cup of shallots and stir fry them for about 1 minute. Then, add the dried shrimp, scallops, Chinese sausage, and Chinese cured pork. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons cooking wine (if using), and 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper. Toss everything together.
• Turn off the heat and transfer the flavoring bits to a bowl.
• Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the wok or sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/4 cup chopped shallots and cook for 1 minute. Next, add the taro cubes and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the five-spice powder, chicken bouillon powder (if using), and a pinch of salt. Toss everything together.
• Turn off the heat and transfer the taro to a bowl.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok or sauté pan over high heat. Add the vegetables and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, until they're completely cooked. Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt or garlic salt.
• Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
• Lightly grease the cake pan with canola oil.
• Drain the soaked glutinous rice and spread it over the pan. Pour 1/3 cup water over the rice. Smooth out the rice with your hands. Cover the rice with a layer of the taro (if using). Then, add the flavoring bits.
• If you are using a wok to steam, fill it with about 2 inches of water. (Note: If you are using a large sauté pan, fill it with about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water.) Cover the wok with a lid and bring the water to boil.
• Place a steaming rack in the center of the wok. (Note: If you are using a wok, use a tall steaming rack; if you are using a sauté pan, use a shorter rack.)
• Carefully place the pan of sticky rice over the steaming rack. The steam is very hot, so be careful here. Cover the wok with a lid and adjust the heat to medium-high. Steam the rice for 25 minutes.
• Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the wok. Because a lot of water evaporates during the steaming process, pour another 2 cups of water into the wok.
• Using a large spatula, flip everything over so that the rice is on top (I used a wok spatula similar to this one). Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of water around the edge of the pan. Carefully place the rice back over the steaming rack, and cover the wok with the lid. Steam the rice for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and soft in the center.
• In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together. Drizzle the sauce over the cooked rice and carefully toss everything together.
• Sprinkle the vegetables over the rice and mix together. If you are finding it difficult to mix everything in a small pan, transfer the rice and vegetables to a large bowl to mix.
• Serve the sticky rice in bowls. Garnish with sliced scallions, if you like. The sticky rice goes well with my garlic green beans, garlic cucumber salad, or pan-fried teriyaki tofu.

STICKY RICE LAYER CAKE (VEGAN/GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Combine flours together in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and sugar and stir everything together.
• Add the coconut milk plus the coconut flavoring. Stir well by hand, or mix with electric beaters on low speed. I find a hand whisk works just fine.
• Once you have a fairly smooth batter, pour half of it into another bowl.
• Add a few drops of red food coloring to one of the bowls and stir to create a pink batter (or choose another color or colors according to your preference).
• Grease a loaf pan with a few drops of cooking oil (a glass one works well so you can see the layers as you add them, but it's not necessary).
• Place the loaf pan in a steamer, if you have one. If not, a flat-bottomed wok or large soup-type pot also works, as long as your loaf pan can fit inside it (I used a flat-bottomed wok for mine). You will also need a lid that will fit over both the loaf pan and the pot/wok.
• Pour some water into your steamer, or into the bottom of the pot or wok (around the loaf pan) - it should be at least 1 inch deep. Don't make the water too deep, or there will be too much splashing when it boils.
• Now pour roughly 1/3 of one color of batter (either pink or white) into the loaf pan. You can choose to make the layers thin or thick - anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch of batter is good.
• Bring the water to a bubbling boil, then reduce heat so that it is gently boiling around the loaf pan (If you're using a wok or pot, the boiling water may make the loaf pan rattle a little.) Cover the pot or wok/steamer with a tight-fitting lid so the cake can steam-cook.
• Steam for five minutes, or until the batter is firm to the touch. Then add your second layer on top. Tips: the second and subsequent layers will take slightly longer to cook - from 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the heat of your steamer. Cook until the middle of the cake is as firm to the touch as the outside. The cake will also rise slightly as it cooks. Also, be sure to add water to your steamer or wok/pot every 10 minutes or so.
• Continue adding layers and steaming the cake in the same way until nearly all the batter is used up. For the final layer, I like to add a few extra drops of red coloring to create a darker, contrasting top (see photo). Tips: It's better to overcook rather than undercook this cake (if you undercook some of the layers, they will turn out too soft and the cake won't hold together when sliced). Also, note that the middle of the cake may ripple towards the end - that is normal. The rippling effect will subside once it has cooled, and you won't notice it once the cake is sliced up.
• When cake is done cooking, remove the loaf pan from the steamer and allow it to cool at least 10 minutes. After it has cooled, place in the refrigerator. Chilling it will help it firm up so that slicing will be easier.
• When cake is cold, run a butter knife around the outside of the pan, then turn pan over and use the knife and your hands to nudge the cake out.
• To slice it, use a sharp, non-serrated knife and one smooth slicing motion from the top downward (try not to use too much of a sawing motion). You can simply serve this cake in slices or cut out shapes, such as diamonds or squares. Serve at room temperature. ENJOY!​ To store this cake: Place in a covered container or in a plastic bag. It can be stored for a day or two on your counter, then place in the refrigerator. I find it's best to eat this cake up within 3 days; after that, it loses its moistness and flavor.

ZONGZI: CHINESE STICKY RICE DUMPLING (粽子)

Steps:

• Prepare: Soak glutinous rice, red beans and bamboo leaves in water overnight.
• Assemble (triangle shape): Use one wide bamboo leaf (or two overlapped narrow ones) to form a narrow cone. First, place a date in the cone, then some glutinous rice. Add a tablespoon of red bean paste. Top with more rice and whole red beans. Fold the two sides of the leaf over the rice. Then fold the top of the leaf down to cover the rice completely. Wrap the rest of the leaf around the shape. Tie with a cooking string. Please refer to the video below.
• Cook: Place Zongzi in a pot (ideally small enough to let them snuggle). Fill the pot with water completely covering the Zongzi. Place a heavy plate on top. Bring the water to a boil then leave to simmer for 2.5 hours (check the water level from time to time. Top up to ensure the Zongzi are always underwater).
• Serve: Equally delicious both warm and cold. Dip into sugar or honey for a sweeter taste if you wish.
• Prepare: Soak glutinous rice, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo leaves in water overnight. Marinate the pork with the rest of the ingredients overnight.
• Assemble (pyramid shape): Overlap two leaves like an X. Form a wide cone in the middle. Place some glutinous rice in, then the pork and mushroom. Top with more rice and make it level. Fold two ends of the leaves towards the middle. Then use another two leaves to seal two sides. Tie with a cooking string (opposite direction of the last two leaves). Please refer to the video below.
• Cook: Same as cooking sweet Zongzi (see above).
• Serve: Best to serve warm.