Glutinous rice has opague grains (unlike the translucent rice which we regularly eat) and is very sticky when cooked. It is usually steamed as Lo Mai Gai, Lo Mai Fan, Thai Sticky Rice (usually eaten with freshly cut mangoes or durians), Yellow Rice (eaten with chicken curry) or made into Zongzi (rice dumplings). It is also used to make many types of kuih like Seri Muka, Wajik and Pulut Inti.
A few weeks ago I had eaten some (small-sized and squarish) Lo Mai Fan which were wrapped daintily in lotus leaves in one of the hotels in KL. These reminded me to make some so that I can eat to my heart's content. (I had not made them for a long time.) I had not gone out to search for the lotus leaves and thus just steamed them in metal bowls. I added Shiitake mushrooms which the hotel had left out.
Ingredients:
- 250 g glutinous rice, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained
- 25 g dried prawns, washed
- 4 pieces Shiitake mushroom, soaked till they are softened, cut into small cubes
- 1-inch thick yam, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 5 pieces of shallots, skinned and sliced
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- Seasonings - light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and pepper
- 1 cup water
Method:
- This recipe makes 8 small bowls of Lo Mai Fan.
- Get your steamer ready. Fill it with water and start boiling the water with low heat as we get the rice ready for steaming.
- Grease the metal bowls with cooking oil for easier removal of the steamed rice.
- Put the yam into the bowls and set aside the bowls.
- Heat up sesame and cooking oil in a wok.
- Add the shallots and saute till fragrant. Remove the shallots from the wok. (Keep them for use with other dishes.)
- Add the dried prawns. Saute till fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms. Saute till fragrant.
- Add the rice and fry them for 3 - 4 minutes.
- Season the rice with light soy sauce, salt and pepper (according to taste).
- Add the dark soy sauce, the amount depends on how dark you want your rice to be.
- Fry till the rice is fragrant.
- Add water to the rice and stir for another 3 - 4 minutes.
- Scoop the rice into the metal bowls. Press the rice down.
- Place the bowls into the steamer and steam the rice at medium to high heat for 20 minutes. (If the rice has not softened, steam it longer.)
- Remove the bowls from the steamer.
- Serve the Lor Mai Fan while it is hot.