Nuo Mi Fan (Chinese sticky rice)

My mom used to make this a couple of times a year and I would always look forward to it!! Though she’d tell me that I couldn’t eat too much because glutinous rice is harder for the stomach to digest and I’d get a stomach ache. Did I listen? No not really. However, it is really filling, so that kinda helps me space it out lol.

I always remember her making this in a rice cooker but most recipes I’ve seen online have involved steaming the sticky rice. Personally, I find that even with soaking and steaming, the texture is never as soft as I want to be. I’m happy to finally have a rice cooker (that I got for free on FB marketplace heh) and to have been able to make this the way that my mom does!

My mom’s version doesn’t include cashews but I like adding it for some extra texture, plus the salt on the cashews means that I don’t need to any additional salt into the rice

I used:

• 2 cups medium-grain glutinous rice, also sometimes labeled as “sweet premium rice”
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 5 medium-sized dried shiitake, rehydrated, removing tough stems and diced
• 1/3 cup medium dried shrimp (I’d recommend small or medium, for larger ones, give them a quick chop)
• 3 sticks of lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced thinly on the diagonal
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (use 2 tbsp if you like your sticky rice less soy sauce-y)
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1/2 cup PLANTERS® salted cashews

To make:

The night before

• Soak 2 cups of sticky rice in water over night. You’ll want enough water to cover the sticky rice by at least an inch
• Soak the shiitakes in 2 cups of hot water, covered

The next day

• Soak dried shrimp in enough shaoxing wine so that all the shrimps are submerged for ~15 minutes
• While the shrimps are soaking, prep the shallots and lap cheong
• Additionally, remove the shiitake from the water and squeeze out extra liquid, remove tough stems and dice. Reserve the soaking water to cook the rice in later
• Heat up a bit of cooking oil in a pan and sauté shallots over medium heat until translucent and fragrant ~1 minute
• Then add the lap cheong and cook for about 1-2 minutes until oils release, they’ll get a glossy sheen to them
• Once glossy, add in the shrimp (along with the soaking cooking wine) and shiitake, sauté for another 2 minutes
• Strain the sticky rice and add the strained rice to the rice cooker along with the cooked ingredients, shiitake soaking liquid (filtering out any sediments), soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, cashews
• Allow it to cook in the rice cooker. Once ready, add white pepper powder to taste and serve

A very special thank you to PLANTERS® for sponsoring this recipe!