What does this Chinese sticky rice recipe mean to me? In a word: comfort. It brings about feelings of love and care from my family. Several family members have made this for me and every time I look at the dish, I think “I am loved.” This is an uncharacteristically emotional post for me. I am probably feeling this way because we are living in the days of COVID-19. The reality of mortality reminds me how precious life is. These past few weeks, I’ve realized the depth of love I have in my life-from my family members who deliver food or call to make sure I am safe, to friends who help to keep me sane and grounded, to my supportive husband. If you are looking for recipes to make for your loved ones during this time (no-contact deliveries only please), check out my basil beef stir fry, zuppa toscana, and meal prep chicken and veggies.
This one is for Grandma
When I think of all those who love me, my grandma is always one of the first people who comes to mind. She has always believed in me and pushed me to be the best person that I can be. And she has taught me most of what I know about Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. She is one of the best cooks I know. In fact, she actually made the Chinese bacon that I used in this Chinese sticky rice recipe. Badass right? She is now 87 years old. Although she is currently in great health, I know that one day she will cross over the rainbow. It is an inevitable and undeniable fact of life. Sorry if that sounds morbid. Because of my experiences as a geriatric psychologist, I’ve had to talk about death and dying a lot. I have found that avoiding the topic can bring more harm than good in most cases. So I choose to face it head-on with my patients and within my own life. This past year, I have spent afternoons with my grandma trying to document her recipes and cooking knowledge. I hope to preserve her memory through cooking.
What is sticky rice?
There are so many kinds of rice: short grain, medium grain, long grain. Shorter grains have more starch and are stickier when they are cooked. Long grain rices such as basmati are much looser when they are cooked. Sticky rice or glutinous rice is a special type of rice that is very springy/chewy and extra sticky when cooked. It is grown in East Asia and Southeast Asia and is popular in Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Laotian, and Cambodian cuisines, to name a few. In most East and Southeast Asian cooking, you will find mostly short grain or medium grain jasmine rice.
How should I cook sticky rice?
Steaming is the best method for cooking sticky rice. You need to soak sticky rice for at least 4 hours, and then steam it. Otherwise, it will result in uncooked/hard centers. This is unlike medium grain jasmine rice, which does not require pre-soaking. You can use a traditional bamboo steamer lined with cloth or use a rice cooker. I prefer the rice cooker method because I’m notoriously bad at making rice. Shoutout to A Day In the Kitchen for their awesome technique using the rice cooker. I borrowed from this idea and made my own spin on this delicious Chinese comfort dish. The rice cooker makes it almost foolproof for me. Some Asian recipes pile the sticky rice into banana leaves then stuff meat into them, almost like an Asian tamal.
You can eat sticky rice as a dessert or savory item. If you are making something savory, you can add meats (preserved sausages, Chinese bacon, ground pork, fresh shrimp, dried shrimp) and aromatic veggies (e.g., garlic, onion, shiitake mushrooms, pickled turnips), as well as blanched peanuts. If you are making a dessert, then add coconut cream/milk, and maybe fruit (e.g., mangos) or dessert sweet beans (e.g, black eyed peas). Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. 😉
Chinese Sticky Rice with Preserved Meats
Equipment
- rice cooker
Ingredients
- 1 Chinese sausage link
- 1 slab Chinese bacon
- 2 cups glutinous rice
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp xiaoxing wine
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 handful green onion chopped
- 1 pc Chinese preserved duck leg optional
Instructions
- Wash glutinous rice and then soak for 4 hours.
- Saute Chinese sausage and bacon on medium low heat to render fat, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Then saute garlic in the fat left in the pan. Saute for 5 minutes on medium heat until brown. Then set aside.
- Add in Chinese sausage, bacon, and duck leg to the bottom of a rice cooker. Then add in soy sauce and xiaoxing wine.
- Drain the glutinous rice and place into the rice cooker. Add in 1 1/4 cups of water into the rice. Follow instructions on the rice cooker and turn on cook setting, approximately 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan on medium. Add oil and green onion and saute on low heat for 5 minutes.
- After the rice cooker indicates that it is finished cooking, allow the rice to sit in its own steam for at least 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
- Top rice with green onion oil. Mix well and serve. Enjoy!
Tag me at #jennskitchendiary on Instagram if you made this recipe. I’d love to see and hear about how yours turned out. 🙂
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