Chicken Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves

Chicken Sticky Rice in Banana Leaves takes the beloved Chicken Sticky Rice recipe to the next level by wrapping it in fragrant banana leaves. This method adds a wonderful aroma and an extra layer of flavor, making the sticky rice even more irresistible. Let’s make this fragrant, juicy, and delicious dish together!

Recipe

Serves: 8
Prep time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups glutinous rice, soaked in water
1 1/4 cups water
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, rehydrated
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
2 links Chinese sausage, cut into thin rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 pieces banana leaves, frozen, defrosted, rinsed, cut into roughly 8×10 inches
4 cooked salted egg yolks, halved

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

For the chicken:
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Pinch of five-spice powder
Pinch of white pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients:

• Rinse the glutinous rice several times and soak in water for 2 hours.
• Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms and rehydrate in water for 2 hours.
• Rinse the dried shrimp and rehydrate in water for 2 hours.
• Drain all ingredients before using them.

2. Make the sauce:

• In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, and white pepper.

3. Cook the rice:

• In a bowl, mix 1 1/4 cups water with half of the sauce.
• Transfer the soaked and drained rice to a rice cooker, add the water mixture, and mix well.
• Cook the rice using the rice cooker’s rice setting.

4. Marinate the chicken:

• In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, white pepper, and cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water).
• Mix well and marinate for 30 minutes.

5. Stir-fry the filling:

• Heat a well-seasoned wok over high heat until smoking, then reduce to low heat and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil.
• Add Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until aromatic. Remove and set aside.
• Heat the wok over high heat until smoking again. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon cooking oil.
• Add marinated chicken and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add minced garlic and the cooked sausage-shrimp-mushroom mixture. Cook until fragrant.
• Add the remaining sauce and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Assemble:

• Once the rice is cooked, let it cool for about 5 minutes.
• Prepare the banana leaves by placing a smaller piece on top of a larger piece, shiny side down.
• Place 4 tablespoons of sticky rice in the center and form into a rectangle.
• Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling and a piece of salted egg yolk on top of the rice.
• Add another 4 tablespoons of rice on top to cover the filling.
• Fold the bottom of the banana leaves up and over the rice, then fold in the sides and roll into a rectangular packet.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

7. Steam:

• Place each packet in a bamboo steamer.
• Bring water to a boil in a large steamer pot.
• Transfer the bamboo steamer over the boiling water, cover, and steam on high heat for 1 hour.
• This step infuses the rice and fillings with the aroma of the banana leaves.
• Carefully remove from the steamer and serve warm.

Tips & notes

• Banana leaves: Frozen banana leaves work well—defrost, rinse, and cut before use.
• Soaking times: Soak rice, dried mushrooms, and dried shrimp sufficiently for best texture and flavor.
• Marinate chicken: Letting the chicken marinate allows flavors to penetrate and tenderizes the meat.
• Rice cooker: Using a rice cooker for the initial cooking ensures perfectly cooked sticky rice before steaming.
• Steaming: The extra steaming step adds fragrance and helps meld the flavors with the banana leaves.