Recipe: Lo Mai Gai (Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken)

This post was sponsored by MATRADE's Malaysian Kitchen Program.

Glutinous rice or "sticky rice" as it is commonly known is a delicious Malaysian treat that you can enjoy all year round. While it takes a little bit of effort to make it at home, the rewards make it most definitely worth it.

Sticky rice is an incredibly versatile dish and you can add almost anything that tickles your fancy, however the basic ingredients you will need are:

Ingredients for glutinous rice:
500g glutinous rice + water for soaking
1 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
1½ tsp 5 spice powder
½ tsp grounded white pepper
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp thick dark caramel sauce

Ingredients for chicken:
400g chicken thighs - chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp thick dark caramel sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Shao Xing wine
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper powder

Your will also need:
4 cloves garlic - chopped
2 Chinese sausages - sliced
10 Chinese mushrooms
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 chopped red chilli

We recommend heading down to Box Hill Central's International Fresh Food Market to get all of the ingredients needed for this recipe.

First, you will need to prepare the rice a day in advance by rinsing it thoroughly and soaking it in water overnight. The next day, drain the rice and mix the rice with 1 cup of water, sesame oil, 5 spice powder, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark caramel sauce.

Soak the Chinese mushrooms in boiling water for 15 - 20 minutes, then drain the liquid and slice the mushrooms once they cool.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and marinate in sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark caramel sauce, oyster sauce, Shoa Xing wine, sugar and pepper for 30 mins.

In a wok (or if you don't have a work, a large frying pan) add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, fry off garlic until fragrant, then add Chinese sausage and fry for 2 minutes. Once the sausage begins to caramelise, add Chinese mushrooms and continue cooking for 3 – 5 minutes. Now pour in the marinated chicken including the marinade and simmer until the chicken is cooked.

Once the chicken is cooked, you can add the glutinous rice mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes (adding a small amount of water if the mixture is too dry). Stir well and set the glutinous rice mixture aside.

The mixture should then be spread out over lightly oiled steaming bowls and steamed for 20 minutes or until soft and fluffy. Then the stick rice is ready to serve!

Garnish with fried shallots, chopped chilli and spring onions and enjoy your freshly prepared, delicious Malaysian delicacy.