Lo Mai Gai is a popular and tasty dimsum dish of steamed glutinous rice topped with Chinese sausage and dark soy sauce chicken and mushrooms.
I finally made Lo Mai Gai (Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken). It was on my to-do list for a while as I had mentioned this dish in my Savory Steamed Glutinous Rice post way back in February of 2011. I managed to buy four small stainless steel bowls made specially for cooking this dish during my last trip back to Malaysia. They are just the perfect size and a “nice to have”. I should have bought eight instead of four. 😉
Lo Mai Gai – A Dimsum Favorite
This popular dimsum dish of steamed glutinous rice topped with lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and dark soy sauce chicken and mushrooms is very similar to this Braised Chicken with Dark Soy Sauce and Mushrooms. Sometimes, it is wrapped in lotus leaves and known as Hor Yip Fan (Lotus Leaf Wrapped Rice) with the rice being a lighter color as only light soy sauce is used.
Glutinous Rice
Glutinous rice, also known as sweet or sticky rice can be easily purchased at any Asian grocery store. It must be soaked for several hours prior to use to give it a tender texture. It does expand a little after soaking and is usually steamed, unlike regular rice which is normally cooked in water. Since glutinous rice is “heavier”, the serving size should also be smaller.
Do not be deterred with the seemingly long list of ingredients list, many which are sauces. Small shallow bowls or ramekins may be used in place of those stainless steel bowls. Do give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
Similar Products Used in Making This Lo Mai Gai
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
8pcs Stainless Steel Sauce Dishes
Bamboo Steamer Basket Set (8 Inch)
Bamboo Steamer Basket 2 Tiers (10 Inch)
Microplane Gourmet Series Stainless Steel Coarse Grater
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
Lo Mai Gai (Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken)
Ingredients
- 8 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs (thinly sliced) (225g)
- 1 tbsp Shao Hsing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 inch ginger (peeled) (30g)
- 2 lap cheong / Chinese sausage
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 Chinese mushrooms / shiitake, soaked and cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp corn starch mixed with ½ cup (120ml) water
For the glutinous rice
- 2½ cups glutinous rice (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight) (500g)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp five spice powder
- ½ cup water (120ml)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced
Instructions
- Combine chicken, Shao Hsing wine, and soy sauce in a bowl. Grate ginger over chicken. Mix well and allow it to marinade for 30 minutes.
- Soak lap cheong in a pan of hot water for about 10 minutes. Casings should puff up. Remove casings and slice lap cheong at a diagonal.
Prepare Glutinous Rice
- Prepare a steamer and allow water to come to a boil.
- Drain glutinous rice. Place in a deep bowl. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, pepper, five spice powder, and ½ cup (120ml) water. Mix well.
- Combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, and minced garlic in a small microwave proof dish and microwave for 1½ minutes on high. Remove and pour over the rice.
- Place rice in steamer, cover with lid, and steam for 30 minutes.
Cook Toppings
- In the meantime, fry prepared lap cheong until lightly brown in a medium size pot, about 2 minutes. There is no need to use any oil. Remove fried lap cheong, leaving the oil in the pot. Set aside.
- In the same pot, sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add marinated chicken and mushrooms. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in dark soy sauce. Pour in corn starch mixture and allow it to cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should come to a boil and thicken. Turn off the stove.
Putting it together
- Prepare 8 ramekins or small rice bowls. Place a few slices of fried lap cheong, mushroom, and chicken neatly at the base of the bowl. Fill to the top with cooked glutinous rice.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of chicken gravy over each bowl of rice.
- Place the bowls in the steamer, cover with lid and steam for 30 minutes.
- Invert lo mai gai onto small plates. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
More Glutinous Rice Recipes
Here are more recipes using glutinous rice. Please click on the link or image to view recipe.
Jeannie Tay says
Reminds me it’s been ages since I last cooked this lo mai gai…yours are so full of fillings! looks delicious!
Ramona says
I am a savory girl… so this looks amazing to me. Love the way it gets steamed so it locks in all those fantastic flavors.
DongXing says
Like your first reader, it’s about time I make this too! Shamefully, I do have 8 of these little stainless steel bowls somewhere in the cupboard and have not taken them out for use yet…. I love lo mai gai, one of my favourite dim sum choices. I think I might make this for the chinese new year reunion dinner. A one-pot dish to celebrate that evening.!
Biren says
I need to buy another 4 more stainless steel bowls the next time I go back to visit my parents. They are just the perfect size for lo mai gai. Yes, this would be good for the Reunion dinner. 🙂
Yvette says
I am trying lo mai gai for the first time and this recipe is spot on in terms of taste and clear instructions w pictures. My family loved it. I changed the way the glutinous rice is prepared. Instead of mixing them, I fried the minced garlic and some thinly sliced shallots in oil till slightly fragrant. Add the soaked uncooked rice. Fry for about 2 minutes then add the soya sauce, dark soya sauce, salt, pepper, 5 spice powder and water. Fry until the water is somewhat absorbed. Then continue to the step to steam the rice.
Linda says
Thank you Yvette for your kind comments. I am very happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the dish and you appreciate the video and step-by-step instructions. My sons also enjoy this dish very much and I will be making it again very soon. 🙂
Samuel says
I am thinking of doing it wrap in lotus leave but prefer normal rice to glutinous rice. If so, do I need to soak the rice?
Linda says
It is not necessary to soak regular rice. However, it will not stick together like glutinous rice would. It may turn out more like fried rice or clay pot chicken rice instead.
Wendy Wong says
Hi! I tried preparing this dish today and I realised that the rice is somehow unevenly cooked. Is it because I didn’t add sufficient water or do I need to stir the rice in the midst of steaming? The taste of the dish is very nice though 🙂
Linda says
Did you soak the rice for at least 4 hours? Glutinous rice can be difficult to cook and so soaking is necessary.
Phyllis says
So delicious and it tastes like what I used to have during my childhood. Very easy to make.
Linda says
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
May says
Thank you for this recipe. I tried steaming the glut rice first and not steaming it. The steaming glut rice and then wrapping it later makes the rice taste softer and stickier.
Linda says
You are welcome. 🙂