Chinese Sticky Rice

Recipe by Misha Sesar

Chinese sticky rice, or nuomifan (糯米飯) is one of my favorite rice dishes of all time. Made with glutinous rice, it’s infused with a splattering of peanuts, Chinese sausage, and everything delicious. 

This recipe comes from my grandmother on my mother’s side; it's one of her signature dishes.   

Nuomi Fan (糯米飯)

Taiwanese-style sticky rice recipe straight from my grandmother.

INGREDIENTS:

• Handful of dried shrimp

• cooking Sherry

• 4 dried Shiitake mushrooms

• 3 cups Sweet Glutinous Rice

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup raw peanuts

• 1 large shallot

• 1 Steamed Chinese/ Taiwanese sausage

• olive oil

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• Granulated Mushroom Seasoning

• 1/4 cup sesame oil

• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Food Prep

1. Soak the dried shrimp in a small dish with some wine (we usually use Cooking Sherry or Chinese rice wine) and water.

2. Soak the dried mushroom in water. When the mushrooms have softened, take them out then slice the long way then dice. Keep the liquid.

3. Rinse the rice a few times until water becomes more clear. Then let the rice soak in 1 1/2 cups of water for at least an hour (we normally let it sit overnight). The water should all be absorbed by the rice. Before you are start cooking add another 1/2 cup of water to the rice to soak. Take this extra cup of water out and keep it for later.

4. Place the peanuts in a pot, cover with cold water then boil for about 25 minutes. You want them to still be crunchy but not hard.

5. Cut the shallot in half then in halves again. Thinly slice.

6. Steam the sausages in a rice cooker this should take about 15-20 minutes. Then cut in 4ths the long way and dice.

Cook

1. Heat a large pan or a wok with olive oil on high. Add the shallots then lower heat to medium and cook until they lightly brown. Add the mushrooms with their soaking liquid to the pan. Stir and cook until fragrant. Then add the shrimp with their soaking liquid. Next, add enough soy sauce to mix with all the ingredients (this should be about 1/4 cup).

2. Add the rice. Constantly stir at medium-high heat so the rice does not burn. Add a little bit of the mushroom seasoning (about 1/2 teaspoon). Cover then turn to medium heat then down to low. The water should evaporate in about 5 minutes.

3. Add in the peanuts and sausage. Then stir well. Cover again for about 5 minutes.

4. At this point, if the rice is still white (has uncooked sections) add some of the water taken out and saved from the soaked rice (mentioned in prep). Add in little by little and cover again at high heat then after a few seconds lower to medium-high so the rice is not soggy. Repeat this until rice no longer has many white grains.

5. Add about 1/4 cup of sesame oil then stir well. Cover again for about another 5 minutes and let it simmer.

6. Stir the rice so it does not burn then add salt to taste. Continue stirring. When the rice no longer sticks to the pan then it is done.The rice should have a sticky consistency.