Stir-fried Glutinous Rice (生炒糯米飯)

This Stir-fried Glutinous Rice is a long-standing, classic dim-sum in Chinese restaurants. Traditionally, the cooking method is very time and effort demanding, similar to the way how Italian risotto is cooked from raw to done. To cook Stir-fried Glutinous Rice is not hard at all. In fact, I heard many chefs in Chinese restaurants confess they won’t go through this route simply because of consideration of time and labor. Many Chinese people love to cook this dish at home in winter. I religiously followed the traditional way to cook the glutinous rice in order to get the right texture I wanted. Yet, I also share a cheating way of cooking this classic dish followed the recipe.

Stir-fried Glutinous Rice (Printable recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup glutinous rice, about 140 gm
• 1 dried chinese sausage (lap chong), less fat
• 1 dried scallop
• 6 large dried shrimps
• 6 dried shiitakes
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp water
• chopped spring onion (scallion), for garnish
• 1 cup water, including the soaking water of dried scallop

Seasoning:

• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Soak glutinous rice for at least 3 hours. Soak dried shiitakes, dried shrimps and dried scallop until softened. Chop shiitakes and shrimps into dices. Shred the scallop into smaller pieces with hands. Save the soaking water of dried scallop, add some more water to make it up to 1 cup.
2. Add 2 teaspoons of water into the egg and beat the egg. Season with salt. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the beaten egg. Move the pan around and spread out the egg into a disc. Fry both sides until golden. Set aside. When it cools down, cut the egg into thin strips.
3. Add diced lap chong in frying pan. Don’t need to add any oil because lap chong would release oil when frying. When some oil release, add shiitake, shrimp and scallop and saute until cooked. Set aside.
4. Rinse glutinous rice and wash away the starch. Drain well. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in frying pan. Add glutinous rice, stir to coat the rice with oil. Then add 2 tablespoons of water at a time, cook on medium heat. Try to spread them in thin layer and let them cook evenly over medium heat. When the water is about drying up, add more water. Repeat the procedures of stirring, spreading the rice, adding small amount of water in between, until the rice is cooked thoroughly. The whole process takes about 25 to 30 minutes. When the rice is cooked, add seasoning and combine well. Remember to taste by yourself, then adjust to your personal taste.
5. Toss back lap chong, scallop, shrimps, shiitake and egg. Stir and combine. Transfer to individual serving bowls, garnish with spring onion. Enjoy.

Notes:

• It’s better to use non-stick frying pan to stir fry the glutinous rice. Otherwise you have to add a large amount of oil to keep them not sticking to the bottom of pan.
• When it comes to cooking this dish, the texture of the end outcome is quite tricky to control. Thus, add a small amount of water at a time along the way of stir-frying rice. If it dries, add water, if the rice is too wet, stir fry them until water dries up. The best texture of the stir-fried glutinous rice is soft, yet not chewy, soggy, nor lumpy. Each grain should be cooked through inside, and can be separated individually.

To cook the glutinous rice from raw to being cooked thoroughly, the process seems to be very threatening and demanding. But it’s worth every effort when you enjoy this authentic Chinese stir-fried glutinous rice.

A cheating way:

• Here’s a cheating way to cook this dish with similar results, saving more time and energy, without standing near the stove half an hour long.
• After soaking the glutinous rice for 3 hours, drain them well. Place a cheese cloth on the bottom of a steamer. Spread the rice out in a thin layer. Cover and steam over high heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked. Transfer the rice to frying pan and stir fry with other ingredients.