Ani's Kitchen Stories

This savoury and delicious sticky rice is so easy to prepare and is a family favourite. A go to quick recipe for breakfast or lunch mostly during the winter and spring months. The added Chinese sausage makes it sweet and flavorful and mushroom and soy sauce brings out the savoury umami goodness to it.

Savoury Sticky rice is my childhood favourite and I’m so glad that my child equally loves it too. While back home in Assam, we prepare sticky rice both as sweet and savoury versions of sticky rice. I’ve always loved the savoury one. My grandmother used to have sticky rice with milk and banana or mango which is great too. However, my heart goes for the salty one.

Traditionally, Sticky or glutinous rice is prepared by soaking the rice overnight and cooking it in a deep frying pan by adding or sprinkling little water on the rice until the rice is cooked thoroughly yet not too soft or mushy. Here, I’ve pressure cooked the sticky rice before frying it with the rest of the ingredients.

This version of sticky rice is purely Chinese version where a traditional Chinese pork sausage is used which is sweet to taste. Rarely we find Chinese sausage in the market. Luckily, one of my friend’s lovely mother in law brought this particular Chinese sausage from her hometown in Kalimpong. The sausage is wonderfully delicious and best suited with the sticky glutinous rice.

Now if you don’t have Chinese sausage in hand, worry not; you can always prepare it with chicken/pork. The flavour or the taste won’t be the same, but it’ll be equally delicious. Or simply stir fry the sticky rice only with Spring onions, you’ll love it and it’s our favourite.

A good quality sauce is must to bring out the umami goodness in the dish. If you’re preparing any Asian cuisine, sauces and condiments plays a major role to bring out the best flavour and taste. I’ve used Kikkomon soy sauce instead of light soy sauce ( you can use light soy sauce as well) dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine and toasted sesame seed oil.

Ingredients: (serves 4-5)

• 2 cups of uncooked Sticky rice/glutinous rice 
• 3-4 Chinese sausage thinly sliced 
• 5-6 Oyster mushrooms 
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 
• 2 spring onions finely chopped 
• 2 tsp oyster sauce 
• 2 tsp kikkoman soy sauce/ light soy sauce 
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce 
• 1 tsp shaoxing wine 
• 2 tsp sesame oil 
• 5 tbsp water
• 5-6 white pepper crushed 
• 4-6 Thai bird eye chillies 
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• Salt to taste  

Method:

• Wash the sticky rice in a pot. Add 1 1/2 cup water and pressure cook the sticky rice. (2 whistles). Avoid adding more water, this’ll make the rice very soft. Let it rest and cool by itself. Do not release the air. 
• Combine the soy sauces, oyster sauce sesame oil, water and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion and white of spring onions. Stir in high heat for a minute or so. Add the sliced sausage. Stir. Then add the shredded oyster mushroom. Stir well. Add Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Now add all of the cooked sticky rice and break it up with the help of a spatula. Add in the sauce mixture. Keep mixing and stirring. Do not let it the rice stick in the bottom of the pan. 
• Season it with more of green onions and white pepper. Mix well and turn off the flame. 
• It can be served on its own which is delicious or serve it as full meal with side dishes or with a fried egg.