Rice packets
To continue on with the loads of cooking for Chinese New Year, here is Mike’s and my recipe for rice packets.
Ingredients (for 10 small ones)
- 2 cups glutinous rice (sweet rice)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 20 dried (large) banana leaves
- 3 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp hoisin
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 4 ounces (113 grams) boneless, skinless chicken (mixture of light and dark meat), coarsely ground
- 1 Chinese sausage, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 ounces (56 g) Char Siu, cut in 1/4 inch dice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
Directions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear.
- Add 1/2 tsp of salt and enough fresh water to cover the rice, then let it soak for 2 hours.
- To rehydrate the mushrooms, just put them in a small bowl and pour some warm water over them and then let them soak for roughly 45 minutes.
- Rinse off the mushrooms, cut off the stems (since they’re a little hard), then dice them.
- While the mushrooms are soaking you can also start soaking the banana leaves in some warm water.
- In a small bowl, combine the soya sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin and sugar.
- Heat a wok or frying pan and then add oil. Stir fry the chicken for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, Chinese sausage and soya sauce mixture and stir fry for another couple minutes. Then add the cornstarch and water mixture and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat.
- Drain the rice and then put in rice cooker. Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and 1 1/2 cups of water then cook.
- When the rice has cooked, and cooled, divide it into 10 portions.
- Arrange the banana leaves into crosses (each cross = 2 leaves)
- With wet fingers, spilt each portion in half.
- Put one half portion on a banana leaf, spoon on some of the filling and then add the other half portion on top.
- Fold the leaves over and then tie it with a piece of twine (like you would a present with ribbon).
- Steam for 20 minutes.
The packets keep very well and can easily be frozen or refrigerated and then reheated.
