Chicken sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf is a cherished classic in Cantonese cuisine. The combination of tender chicken, fragrant sticky rice, and the subtle aroma of lotus leaf creates a truly unforgettable dish. It’s one of my personal favorite ways to enjoy sticky rice, and I have no doubt it’ll quickly become one of yours, too.

Chicken Sticky Rice Over Lotus Leaf

Serves: 2 to 4 people
Prep time: 30 minutes
Rest time: overnight and 2 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes to 1 hour

For the chicken:
1 chicken thigh, skinless, boneless, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
Pinch of five-spice powder
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for stir-frying

Toppings:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for stir-frying
2 Chinese sausages, sliced into ¼-inch rings
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in water for 2 hours, cut into thin slices
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, rehydrated in water for 2 hours
3 cloves garlic, finely minced

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of five-spice powder
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of sea salt

For the sticky rice:
1½ cups sticky rice, thoroughly washed, presoaked in water for 2 hours
Pinch of five-spice powder
Pinch of white pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Additional ingredients:
1 lotus leaf, quartered, rehydrated in water overnight (you can buy these at any Chinese supermarket or online)

Instruction

1. Preparation:

• Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add in the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder, white pepper, and sea salt. Mix well. Marinate for 20 minutes.
• To make the sauce, in a bowl, mix in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, white pepper, and sea salt. Set aside.

2. Stir-frying:

• To stir-fry the toppings in a pan, add the vegetable oil, Chinese sausage and stir-fry over moderate heat until some of the oil comes out from the sausage for about 1 minute. Then add in the shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp. Stir-fry on moderate heat until aromatic for another 1 minute. Take it out and put it aside.
• To stir fry the chicken in the same pan, add the vegetable oil, put in the chicken, and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes until medium well. Add in the garlic, and transfer back the toppings. Also, pour in the sauce and stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute. Take it out and set aside.

3. Putting everything together:

• To season the sticky rice, first pour out the water from the rice. Season with five-spice powder, white pepper, sea salt, and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly.
• Place the quartered lotus leaf on a bamboo steamer.
• Transfer the sticky rice over the lotus leaves.
• Then spread the chicken and other toppings over the sticky rice.

4. Steaming:

• In a large pot, bring water to a boil, transfer in the bamboo steame,r and steam over high heat for 20 minutes.

5. Serve:

• Carefully take out the steamer and serve!