Lo Mai Gai (steamed sticky rice in lotus leaf),one of the most classic and popular dish in dim sum halls, is easy to make at home. It contains all sorts of yum ingredients sticky rice, chicken, sweet sausage (lop cheong), Chinese cured pork belly (lop yok), salted egg yolk and shiitake mushrooms. It is a very popular Chinese style Lo Mai Fun recipe.

It is quite easy to make a yummy sticky rice dish with all kings of meats and even vegetables and fruits. Sticky rice has stronger aroma than normal rice and can absorb the juice and taste better. That’s why I made that easy sticky rice ribs several days ago.

I was born and grew up in Chongqing, the municipality originally belongs to Sichuan area. So I was born with spicy teeth. Before moving to Guangdong province, I simply refuse food from other cuisine especially Guangdong province. During the first job year in Shenzhen, we climb the Southern mountain every Sunday and after that we order a large amount of dim sum dishes and chat with each other from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in a famous local dim sum hall. That memory has started my life of cooking and making Guangdong dishes at home. I love Har Gow, chicken feet, all kinds of cake and lo mai gai. Later, I found it quite popular among my Cantonese colleague as breakfast.

Generally, Lo Mai Gai is quite easy to prepare and as long as you get high quality ingredients, you can make outstanding tastes. I have listed two methods of assembling a Lo Mai Gai. And they brings small difference from the appearance and taste.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cup sticky rice (either short grain or long grain)
4 lotus leaves
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 sweet sausage (lop cheong)
1 cup sliced Chinese cured pork belly (lop yok)
5 hydrated dried shiitake mushrooms
1 thumb ginger
2 garlic, sliced
2 green onion (white and green part separated)
1 chicken leg (bone removed and cut into small pieces)
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
salted duck egg yolk (for method 1)

Chicken marinating

pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
dash of pepper

Steps

Pre-soak the sticky rice for at least 2 hours. Drain and then place in a steamer to steam for around 20 minutes (almost cooked).
Marinate chicken with salt, light soy sauce, pepper and oyster sauce.
Heat oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic and green onion white and fry for around 1 minute over slow fire until aromatic. Add chicken meat in and fry for 10-15 seconds until the chicken changes color slightly. Transfer out.
Place sweet sausage, cured pork belly and shiitake mushrooms; fry for 1-2 minutes over medium slow fire until slightly browned and the cured pork belly turns transparent.
Turn off fire and return chicken meats, add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix well.
Assembling method 1: Get a lotus leaf and put a layer of sticky rice (pre-steamed) and then put 1/3 of the filling on the center. Cover with another layer of sticky rice. Then dig a small hole in the center and decorate with a salted duck egg yolk. Wrap well with the remaining part of the leaf.
Assembling method 2: Mix steamed sticky rice with the filling. Then place around 1 cup mixture in the center of a lotus leaf and then wrap well.
Sep up the steamer and continue steaming for 20 minutes. Serve with chopped green onion.

Assembled by method 1

It keeps the original taste of the sticky rice and thus forms a strong contrast with the savory filling. We can taste the layers of taste by each bite.

Wrapped by method 2

The sweet rice is well flavored by the sauces of other ingredients. We get uniform taste compared with method 1. Which one do you like?