A parcel of glutinous rice stuffed with chicken, Chinese mushrooms, lap cheong sausage and dried shrimp, wrapped in a fragrant lotus leaf and steamed until the rice swells with the perfume of the leaf: the great Cantonese dim sum treasure
Lo mai gai (糯米雞, literally 'glutinous rice chicken') is one of the most beloved dishes of the Cantonese dim sum trolley, the Sunday morning institution of yum cha (飲茶, 'drink tea') that defines communal Guangdong eating. These parcels, hefty, fragrant, wickedly satisfying, have been a staple of dim sum houses since at least the early 20th century, though their origins in wrapping rice in leaves for steaming go back much further. The dried lotus leaf does double duty as cooking vessel and flavouring agent: as the parcel steams, the leaf releases its distinctive earthy, faintly sweet, vegetal aroma into the rice. The rice itself is glutinous (waxy) rice: a different variety from everyday table rice, with a stickiness that holds the parcel together and a chewiness that stands up to the rich filling. The filling is a masterclass of Cantonese flavour layering: the umami of dried shiitake and dried shrimp, the sweet smokiness of lap cheong sausage, the soy-braised chicken.
Ingredients
Rice
400 g glutinous (sticky/waxy) rice
Wrapper
4 large dried lotus leaves (available at Chinese grocery stores)
Filling
300 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water 30 mins, stems removed, caps quartered (reserve soaking liquid)
2 lap cheong (Chinese dried sausage), sliced into thin coins
30 g dried shrimp, soaked in cold water 20 mins, drained
Marinade
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
Cooking
2 tbsp neutral oil
Method
Soak the glutinous rice in cold water for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Drain thoroughly. Soak the dried lotus leaves in hot water for 20 minutes until pliable. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Drain the soaked rice and steam it over boiling water for 25 minutes until just cooked but still slightly firm (it will finish cooking inside the lotus leaf parcel). Season with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Toss to coat evenly.
Marinate the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the marinated chicken for 2 minutes until sealed but not fully cooked. Add the mushrooms, lap cheong and drained dried shrimp. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 3–4 tablespoons of the mushroom soaking liquid (strained) and toss together for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Lay a soaked lotus leaf on your work surface, dark side up. Place a generous mound of seasoned rice in the centre (about one-quarter of the total rice). Make a hollow in the centre of the rice and add one-quarter of the chicken filling. Top with more rice to enclose the filling completely.
Fold the lotus leaf over the rice to form a neat rectangular parcel. Fold the sides in first, then fold the ends under. Tie with kitchen string if necessary (most experienced Cantonese cooks fold them tight enough that string isn't needed). Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 4 parcels.
Place the parcels seam-side down in a steamer basket. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 35–45 minutes until the rice is fully tender and the filling is cooked through. Replenish the boiling water as needed.
Serve the parcels directly on the table in their lotus leaves. Each person unwraps their own parcel; the rush of fragrant steam is part of the experience.
Notes
Lotus leaves impart a distinctive perfume that is impossible to replicate with any other wrapper; do not substitute with banana leaves, which have a completely different character. Dried lotus leaves are sold in most Chinese grocery stores, folded into large bundles. Fresh lotus leaves, if available in summer, give an even more delicate fragrance. Lo mai gai freezes excellently: freeze fully steamed parcels and reheat directly from frozen in a steamer for 20–25 minutes.
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