Naw Mai Fan Food

NO MI FAN - SAVORY STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Overnight soak: Soak shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water until soft and puffed up, cut into thin slices and reserve the soaking liquid. Soak white sticky rice in cold water for 8 hours or overnight, drained.
• In a wok/frying pan, heat sesame oil on high heat. Sauté garlic and white parts of scallions until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add Chinese sausages and stir for 1 minute. Add shiitake and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour the sauce ingredients into the wok/pan and cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn off heat and add the glutinous rice and stir until everything is well mixed. Transfer the rice mixture into a rice cooker pot. Pour the 2 cups of shiitake soaking liquid into the pot. It should just be enough to cover all the rice mixture, if not you can add some more water to cover the entire rice mixture.
• Place the pot into your rice cooker, and cook with "cook rice" or "white rice" function until it turns to "warm", which means the rice is cooked at this time. Wait for 10 minutes, then open the rice cooker lid and add the green parts of the scallions and close the lid again. After another 10 minutes, open the rice cooker and stir with a paddle to fluff the rice. Serve immediately.

LO MAI FAN

Steps:

• Wash the rice in a medium bowl 3 times to remove any dirt or dust. Add the rice back to the bowl, cover with enough cold water to come 2 to 3 inches above the surface of the rice and soak for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Soak the mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups warm water in a medium bowl until softened, about 45 minutes.
• Soak the dried shrimp in a small bowl with enough warm water to cover until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the shrimp and set aside.
• Fill a large pot or wok that fits an 8- to 10-inch steamer basket with water (the water shouldn't touch the bottom of the steamer) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Line an 8- to 10-inch steamer basket with 2 layers of damp cheesecloth or a damp lint-free towel. Drain the rice, spread it in an even layer in the prepared basket and poke a few holes halfway through the layer. Insert the basket in the steamer, cover and steam until the rice is translucent and tender, about 35 minutes. Uncover and remove from the heat to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, squeeze the water from the mushrooms and remove and discard the stems. Roughly chop the caps and transfer to a small bowl with the reserved shrimp. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the mushroom-soaking liquid into another small bowl and discard the remaining soaking liquid.
• Mix the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken bouillon powder, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid until the sugar and salt are dissolved; set aside.
• Add the peanuts, oil and scallion whites to a wok or large nonstick pan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the peanuts darken slightly and the scallions have slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook until it releases some oils, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shrimp and cook until heated, about 2 minutes.
• Swirl in the wine around the hot sides of the wok or pan and stir until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the rice and gently break up the clumps with the back of a wok turner or a spatula. Re-mix the seasoning sauce in the small bowl, then pour most of the sauce over the rice, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind. Cook, stirring and breaking up the rice clumps, until the seasonings are mixed into the rice. If there are parts of the rice that without seasoning, pour the reserved sauce directly over that rice. Mix in the scallion greens and cilantro.
• Divide the sticky rice among 4 small plates. Alternatively, transfer the sticky rice to small bowls and firmly press on the rice mixture to mold to the shape of the bowl. Invert onto larger plates and remove the glass bowls.

NAW MAI FAN

Steps:

• Add mushrooms to a bowl and cover with 1 cup warm water. Let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Strain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid in a small bowl. Rinse mushrooms and set aside. Strain soaking liquid through a paper towel into a medium saucepot and set aside briefly.
• For the rice, rinse rice in strainer under cold water. Add rice, 2 3/4 cups cold water and salt to the saucepot containing the mushroom soaking liquid. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove lid, then turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes without removing the lid. Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in vinegar, and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and keep at room temperature.
• Heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat in a saute pan. When the oil begins to shimmer, brown all sides of the sausage. Pour most of fat from pan and return to stovetop. Reduce heat to medium, stir in coconut milk, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Cover and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the sausage is cooked through.
• Remove sausage and let rest. Then slice on the bias. Return sausage to pan, add cooked rice, and stir to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with scallions.

BA BAO FAN

Steps:

• Soak the glutinous rice with enough cold water to cover in a medium bowl for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Shortly before the rice is ready, soak the lotus seed and red dates with enough cold water to cover in a medium bowl until the dates have softened, about 40 minutes. Drain the lotus seed and dates and keep them in the bowl. Using a sharp paring knife, make a vertical cut into a date (stem-side facing up) until you hit the seed and then carefully rotate the knife around the seed. Remove the seed from the date halves, scraping off as much of the flesh as you can. Discard the seed and return the date halves to the bowl. Repeat with the remaining dates and then set aside with the lotus seed.
• Fill a 12-inch skillet or wok with about 2 inches of water, then place a 10-inch bamboo or metal steamer basket in the skillet. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom insert. If it does, remove some of the water. Remove the steamer basket and bring the water to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, line the steamer basket with two layers of damp cheesecloth. Place the soaked rice in the basket, spread it in an even layer and poke a few holes halfway through the rice to help it cook evenly. When the water is simmering, put the basket in the skillet, cover and steam until the rice is just past the al dente stage, about 50 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• Meanwhile, soak the goji berries with enough cold water to cover in a small bowl until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Lightly spray a 24-ounce heatproof ceramic or metal bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then cover the entire bowl with a piece of damp cheesecloth, letting the ends fall over the sides of the bowl. Lightly spray the cheesecloth with nonstick cooking spray. Set the prepared bowl aside.
• When the rice has finished steaming, transfer it to a large bowl and discard the cheesecloth. (Keep the skillet and steamer for a later step.) Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the butter and 3 tablespoons water to the rice and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter is equally distributed. Keep the rice covered to prevent it from drying out as you proceed with the recipe.
• Fill a small bowl with water and dip your fingers in it, as needed, when working with the rice to keep it from sticking to your skin. Place the soaked lotus seed in the center of the prepared cheesecloth-lined bowl. Arrange the soaked goji berries and pumpkin seeds in a circle around the lotus seed, alternating them and pointing the ends toward the center to form a flower design. Gently dot 1/4 cup of the rice over the design without disrupting it. Gently press the rice into an even layer and cover the entire design.
• Arrange the raisins and golden raisins in a circle around the edge of the rice, alternating them and putting them end to end. Gently dot 3/4 cup of the rice over the raisins without disrupting them. Gently press the rice into an even layer and cover all the raisins. Spread 2 tablespoons of the red bean paste evenly over the rice, keeping about a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the rice. Dot 3/4 cup of the rice over the red bean paste. Gently press the rice into an even layer and cover all the bean paste.
• Arrange the apricots, dates halves, and cherries around the edge of the rice, alternating them and pointing the ends toward the center of the bowl. Dot 1 cup of the rice over the ring of fruit without disrupting the pieces. Gently press the rice into an even layer and cover all the fruit. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup red bean paste evenly over the rice, keeping about a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the rice. Dot the remaining rice over the red bean paste. Gently press the rice into an even layer and cover all the bean paste. Fold the edges of the cheesecloth over the rice and drizzle with a little warm water if the cheesecloth has dried out.
• Replenish the water in the skillet, as needed, and bring to a simmer. When the water is simmering, set the bowl in the steamer, cover and steam until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes (see Cook's Note). Remove the bowl from the steamer and let the rice rest for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water in a small pot until the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes. Cover the sugar syrup and keep warm.
• Pull the cheesecloth away from the top of the rice. Cover the bowl with a serving plate a couple inches wider than the top of the bowl. Pressing the plate firmly against the bowl, carefully flip the bowl over. Set the plate on a counter, gently remove the bowl and peel the cheesecloth off the rice. Brush about half of the sugar syrup onto the rice. Cut the dessert into wedges like a cake and serve with the extra syrup on the side.