Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai)
A classic Cantonese dim sum: glutinous sticky rice with chicken, Chinese sausage and mushrooms, wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed.
Ingredients
| 4 | lotus leaves (cut in half) | |
| 1 1/4 cups | 300 ml | glutinous rice (sticky rice) |
| 4 | Chinese dried black mushrooms | |
| 1 | boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 6 ounces) | |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 ml | salt |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry) |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | cornstarch |
| 2 | Chinese sausages (lap cheong) | |
| 1 clove | garlic (peeled and chopped) | |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | Chinese rice wine (or Japanese rice wine) |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 ml | light soy sauce |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | dark soy sauce |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | 7.5 ml | cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tablespoon water) |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 ml | vegetable oil for stir-frying (or as needed) |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 1.3 ml | sesame oil |
| — | freshly ground black pepper (or white pepper), to taste |
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients.
- One hour ahead, prepare the rice and lotus leaves: soak the lotus leaves in hot water for 1 hour; cover the rice with water and let soak for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, pat the lotus leaves dry and drain the rice.
- Steam the rice: line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper or a cabbage leaf. Fill a wok about halfway with water so the steamer sits above the water without touching. Bring to a boil, cover the rice and steam about 20 minutes. Remove, cover and keep warm.
- Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water, remove the stems and finely chop.
- Cut the chicken into small cubes about the size of a postage stamp. Mix the salt, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a bowl, add the chicken and marinate 20 minutes.
- Finely chop the sausages; peel and chop the garlic.
- In a small bowl combine the rice wine, light and dark soy sauce. In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the water and whisk into the sauce.
- Heat a wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken cubes and stir-fry until white and 80 percent cooked.
- Add the sausages and mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Re-stir the sauce, add it to the middle and stir quickly to thicken. Season with pepper and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Cool.
- To make the wraps, divide the rice and filling into 8 equal sections. Lay a lotus leaf in front of you, place a portion of rice in the center, add the meat-and-vegetable mixture, shaping the rice into a ring around the filling and covering with more rice.
- Fold into a square parcel and tie with twine. Repeat with remaining leaves.
- Steam the parcels, covered, on a heatproof plate in a bamboo steamer in the wok for 15 minutes, or until done.