Lo Mai Gai (糯米雞)

lo mai gai sticky rice lotus wrap on lotus leaf

Lo mai gai (糯米雞) is glutinous rice and chicken filling wrap in a lotus leaf. Also, lo mai gai is a classic dim sum dish that is served in the morning for breakfast among most of Chinese dim sum restaurants.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings

Calories 259.49kcal

Author Tracy O.

Ingredients

This amount yield around 8 lo mai gai (糯米雞)

½ cup Dried small shrimp
2 links Chinese sausage
5 pieces Dried Chinese mushrooms
2 pieces Chicken thighs
8-9 Dried lotus leaves (In case some are broken)
1 cup Water (Add ½ cup first and ½ cup later when cooking the filling)
2 teaspoons Vegetable oil (1 teaspoon for stir fried Chinese sausage, shrimp, mushroom and chicken, 1 teaspoon for brushing lotus leaves)

THICKEN SAUCE:

2 teaspoons Corn starch
2 teaspoons Water

COOK GLUTINOUS RICE:

3 cups Glutinous rice
2 cups Water

CHICKEN MARINATED SAUCE:

2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon White pepper

Instructions

Wash and soak the 8-9 lotus leaves in water for around 45 minutes to an hour until it's soft. (In case some are broken.)
Wash and soak 5 pieces of small medium sized dried Chinese mushrooms for 4-6 hours until it's soft. (Normally, I soak them the night before I need to cook them.)
Rinse and soak ½ cup of dried small shrimp for 10-15 minutes. Then, drain the water and set a side.
When the mushrooms are soft, slice them into strips.
Cut 2 links of Chinese sausage into slices.
Then, cut 2 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken thighs into strips.
In a bowl, add chicken, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper and ½ teaspoon of sugar. Then, mix it well and let it marinate for 15-20 minutes.
At the same time, cook glutinous rice in a pressure cooker instant pot, add 1 cup of water and a rack.
Put a bowl into the instant pot and add 3 cup of washed and well drained glutinous rice and 2 cups of water. Remember to level the rice and make sure the water covers every rice.
Close the lid and vent, then push the manual button to adjust time for 30 minutes at high pressure and natural release pressure.
While waiting for glutinous rice, start cooking the filling. Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, turn on medium high fire, add soaked dried small shrimp, Chinese sausage and mushrooms. Stir fried them for a minute or two.
After that, add the marinated chicken and stir fry them. Then, add ½ cup of water, stir them a little bit and cover with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Next, add another ½ cup of water stir fried and pour the cornstarch mixture (corn starch 2 teaspoons and water 2 teaspoons). Keep stir frying until the sauce is little thicken. Now, everything is ready for wrapping lo mai gai.
Brush some vegetable oil on lotus leaves to prevent the glutinous rice stick on the leaves.
Put a layer of cooked glutinous rice on the lotus leaf like a rectangle shape.
Scoop some filling on the cooked glutinous rice. Personally, I like to add more filling.
Next, put the other layer of cooked glutinous rice on top of the filling. Then, fold it. You can see the video below for how to fold them.
After that, put lo mai gai into a bamboo basket and steam them over the top stove for 15-20 minutes, so the aroma of lotus leaves will come out. Besides, you can use instant pot to steam them as well.

Video

Notes

Cooking tips for making lo mai gai (糯米雞):

Dried mushrooms:

Wash and soak the dried Chinese mushrooms a few hours before. The best to soak it for 4-6 hours until it’s soft. Normally, I soak dried Chinese mushrooms the night before I need to cook them.

Lotus leaves:

Wash and soak the lotus leaves for around 45 minutes to an hour until it's soft enough for wrapping.

Rice:

Use an instant pot pressure cooker to cook the glutinous rice because it’s faster and easier.

Wrap and steam:

Brush some vegetable oil on the leaves before wrapping the glutinous rice and chicken fillings, so it can prevent the rice stick on the lotus leaves.
Steam them in a bamboo basket for 15-20 minutes before serving. The aroma of lotus leaves will come out after steaming the lo mai gai.

Nutrition