Sticky Rice Stir-Fry with Chinese Sausage (Lo Mai Fan)

250g glutinous (sticky) rice, soaked overnight

2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), thinly sliced

30g dried shrimp, soaked for 30 minutes

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight

20g dried squid, soaked overnight and finely diced

20g dried scallops, soaked overnight and shredded

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

2 spring onions, separated into stems and greens

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

The Aromatics

3 Thai shallots, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

20g ginger, thickly sliced

The Seasoning

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

½ teaspoon white pepper

The Stock

100ml reserved shiitake soaking liquid

100ml reserved dried seafood soaking liquid

PREPARATION

1. Drain the soaked glutinous rice and toss it with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. Spread it evenly in a steamer basket, leaving small gaps for the steam to circulate, then steam for 20 minutes until tender. Reserve the soaking liquids from the mushrooms and dried seafood.

2. Thinly slice the Chinese sausage, shallots and spring onion stems. Roughly crush the garlic, slice the ginger, dice the soaked dried squid, shred the dried scallops and slice  the soaked shiitake mushrooms. Finely slice the spring onion greens and roughly chop the coriander.

COOKING

3. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan and cook the beaten eggs into a thin omelette. Roll it up, slice into fine ribbons and set aside for garnish.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok and fry the ginger until lightly golden.

5. Add the Chinese sausage and cook until it releases its fat, then stir in the dried shrimp, dried scallops and dried squid.

6. Add the shallots, spring onion stems, garlic and shiitake mushrooms, stir-frying until fragrant.

7. Pour in a little of the reserved mushroom and seafood soaking liquids. Season with

the light soy sauce and white pepper, then remove the ginger slices and transfer the mixture to a plate.

8. Add the steamed glutinous rice to the same wok, breaking up any clumps as it warms through.

9. Return the cooked filling to the wok and toss together.

10. Add the remaining reserved stock a little at a time to rehydrate the rice, then stir in the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and a little more light soy sauce if needed. Continue tossing until evenly coated and lightly charred in places.

11. Fold through the coriander, spring onion greens and roasted peanuts.

12. Serve topped with the shredded omelette and a little extra coriander.

School of Wok Tips

 Always soak glutinous rice before steaming to ensure it cooks evenly and develops its signature chewy texture.

 Keep the soaking liquid from the mushrooms and dried seafood—it acts as a naturally rich stock packed with umami.

 The Cantonese technique of gradually adding stock back into the rice (wai so) restores moisture while building flavour.

 Don't use leftover cold sticky rice for this dish; freshly steamed rice gives the best texture.

FAQs

Can I leave out the dried squid and scallops?

Yes. The dish is still delicious with just Chinese sausage, dried shrimp and shiitake

mushrooms, although the dried seafood adds extra depth of flavour.

What is lap cheong?

Lap cheong is a traditional Chinese cured pork sausage with a sweet, savoury flavour that becomes beautifully aromatic when stir-fried.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Yes. Omit the Chinese sausage and dried seafood, use extra shiitake mushrooms and season with vegetarian oyster sauce for a delicious meat-free version.