Traditional Chinese Sticky Rice Recipes

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 CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Mix rice flour, canola oil, milk, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Drop small spoonfuls of the red bean paste into the flour mixture about 1 to 2 inches apart, making sure that the red bean paste is covered by the flour mixture. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

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).

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.

EASY STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice several times (until the water is clear).
• Let soak for a few minutes in colander.
• Put rice in pan with tight fitting lid and add the water.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and quickly stretch clean tea towel over the pot, cover with lid.
• Let sit off heat for another 15 minutes.

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.

STICKY RICE WITH CHINESE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook the sticky rice according to the directions on the package and set aside to cool (we usually just make it in our rice cooker). You can also use our method for soaking and steaming the sticky rice to pre-cook it.
• Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauces, sesame oil, chicken stock, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds to bring out the flavor. Next, add the onion, mushrooms and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry for another minute, taking care not to burn the onion. Add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
• Add all of the cooked sticky rice to the wok and break it up as much as possible with a spatula. Spoon half of the sauce mixture over the rice (it helps to add the sauce over any clumps of rice to help break them up). Mix well, using a scooping motion to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the wok. Add the rest of the sauce and stir-fry until the rice is uniform in color.
• Season with white pepper to taste and mix in the scallions. You can serve it as is...or if you want to get fancy, you can pack the rice into a nice round bowl rinsed in warm water and turn it over on a plate. Garnish with cilantro and serve.