Sticky Rice with Pork and Shiitake Mushroom (香菇肉丁糯米饭)

香菇肉丁糯米饭 (Xiang Gu Rou Ding Nuo Mi Fan)

Steamed sticky rice with lotus leaf is a popular dim sum entrée. Lotus leaf is available in some Chinese grocery stores, usually in the frozen section. In this recipe, I opt out the lotus leaf and the flavor of the sticky rice with shiitake mushroom and pork bits is no less than the restaurant version.

For more fun cooking ideas, see Recipes by Category.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sticky rice
• 1 and 1/2 cup of chicken stock (use water is fine if no chicken stock is available)
• 1/2 lb. pork (ideally with some fat portion)
• A few dried shiitake mushroom
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 green onion (why buy from store? grow your own green onion)

Preparation Time:  minutes
Cooking Time:  minutes
Servings: 4

Cooking Steps

1. Prepare the shiitake mushroom from dried version.

2. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to a non stocky wok, add 1 cup sticky rice, stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the rice turns light golden brown.
3. Add 1 and 1/2 cup of water (chicken stock will be a better option if you have it), 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar to the wok, boil then simmer for 30 minutes.  

Tip:

• Stir the rice after cooking 20 minutes for a few times. Note the sticky rice is pretty hard to cook through, so stir and flip the rice to make the rice evenly cooked.

4. While the sticky rice is being cooked, prepare the pork. Get 1/2 lb. Pork, ideally with some fat, which will give the final dish more flavor (however, it is up to your taste if you prefer leaner cut). Cut the pork into 1/2 inch size bits.
5. Add the pork bits to a non sticky wok or pan, use medium heat, cover to cook for about 6 minutes or until the majority of the juice from the meat comes out and evaporates. The oil from the fat will come out and fry the meat for 2 minutes or until the pork bits turn light golden brown.

Tip:

• If you use lean cut of the pork, add 1 or 2 tablespoon canola oil to help pan fry the pork.

6. Cut the prepared shiitake mushroom into small bits, add to the wok or pan with the pork, add 1 fine chopped green onion, stir and cook for about 2 minutes, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, stir fry for about 1-2 minutes to blend all the ingredients evenly.
7. Add the pork and shiitake mushroom to the rice, stir all ingredients evenly, simmer for 10 minutes.

Tip:

• Again, the sticky rice is pretty hard to cook through, thus stir a few times to mix all the ingredients evenly and let the rice absorb the flavor from the shiitake mushroom and pork.