Change the way you make fried rice with fried sticky rice or stir-fried glutinous rice. Its special ingredient is glutinous rice that is stir-fried with various meats and seasonings. It is the perfect dish to warm you up during the winter season!
What Is Fried Sticky Rice?
Fried sticky rice, also known as stir-fried sticky rice (生炒糯米飯), is a fried rice dish variety popularly eaten in the fall and winter seasons. Unlike my other white rice recipes, this dish uses sticky rice or glutinous rice. Sticky rice is best known for its sticky and chewy texture when cooked.
This type of rice is gluten-free, despite its name “glutinous”, which refers to its glue-like sticky texture. To cook the rice, it is first soaked and then simmered with mushroom water until soft. You can personalize and stir-fry the sticky rice with your favorite meats, vegetables, and seasonings.
In this recipe, I mixed the rice with fried peanuts, chopped dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, dried mini shrimps, Chinese sausage, and Chinese cured pork belly. Then, I seasoned it with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. As a finishing touch, I topped it with garnish, such as chopped green onions and fresh coriander.
If you are looking for other fried rice recipes for lunch or dinner, try these tasty recipes as well:
- Chinese Sausage Fried Rice
- Lo Mai Gai Recipe (Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice Chicken)
- Traditional Chinese Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭)
- Yang Chow Fried Rice (Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭)
- One-Pot Taro Rice (Yam Rice) Recipe
- Shrimp Fried Rice (Din Tai Fung Style)
- Sardine Rice Balls Bento
The Best Way To Cook Sticky Rice
Cooking sticky rice is different from your typical boiled method for regular rice. It needs less water, or else you end up with overly mushy sticky rice. Thus, the steaming or simmering method in a pan is a lot better for sticky rice.
Technically, you can still cook it in a rice cooker. Some also like to cook it in a Japanese rice cooker with a sticky rice setting, but this kitchen appliance is actually quite expensive. It may be the most convenient method, but trust me, you would still want to do it the right way.
In this recipe, I soaked the sticky rice overnight. Soaking is important to ensure the grains absorb moisture completely and have an even tender texture. After soaking the sticky rice, I stir-fried and simmered it in mushroom water which I got from my soaked dried shiitake mushrooms.
Stir-frying, simmering, and adding mushroom water are done gradually until the rice is cooked. In this way, the rice is well-separated, fully absorbs the mushroom water flavors, and turns into the ideal soft texture. It is a surefire way to have well-cooked sticky rice that is not mushy or clumpy.
How To Personalize Fried Sticky Rice
The only ingredient that should not be replaced is, of course, the sticky rice or glutinous rice. As for the rest of the flavoring ingredients, you can choose the ones you like and adjust the amount accordingly. Here’s what you can put for the fried sticky rice:
- Sticky rice: You can find sticky rice in the store labeled as glutinous rice, sushi rice, or sweet rice. Sticky rice is available in Asian grocery stores, the international section of most local grocery stores, or on Amazon. Make sure to soak this in advance since you need at least 4-8 hours to soak it overnight.
- Dried scallops: Dried scallops are dry and stiff, so they require soaking until rehydrated and soft. Once it is soft, chop it into smaller pieces. This adds a pungent and strong umami taste to the sticky rice.
- Shiitake mushrooms: You can use fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms. If you are using dried mushrooms, be sure to soak them in advance for at least 4 hours.I prefer using dried over fresh shiitake since it has a deeper flavor. Shiitake mushrooms have a smoky, umami, and ‘meaty’ Aside from shiitake mushrooms, you can add other types of mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and king oyster mushrooms.
- Chinese sausage: Chinese sausage is also known as lap cheong. You can find this dried cured meat in Asian markets or on Amazon. Before cooking, you can cut it into small cubes or thin slices. This can be cooked by steaming, boiling, or frying. It is quite different from regular sausage since it has a sweet, savory, and pungent taste. The best alternative to store-bought Chinese sausage is Homemade Chinese Sausage. You can make one yourself at home using only 5 ingredients: pork shoulder and fat, sugar, salt, baijiu. Replace Chinese sausage with salami, pepperoni, bacon, or regular sausage if you really can’t find Chinese sausage.
- Chinese cured pork belly: You can find Chinese cured pork belly in Asian supermarkets labeled as Chinese bacon, là ròu, and lap yuk. If you have the time to make a homemade version of this, refer to my recipe for Chinese cured pork belly. This recipe calls for marinating, hanging, and drying the meat. You can hand dry the meat indoors or outdoors. If you have no choice but to replace Chinese cured pork belly, you can use other types of pork belly like Crispy Pork Belly, Cantonese Roast Pork Belly, or Pork Belly Char Siew.
- Dried mini shrimp: Dried mini shrimp add an extra taste of umaminess to the rice. You can use small to medium dried shrimps and soak them until soft. Alternatively, use dried shrimp flakes, fresh or frozen pre-peeled shrimp, or more dried scallops.
- Other meat options: Aside from these meaty ingredients, you can also add the following for more variety:
- Chinese dried cured ham
- Chinese-style roast pork
- Char siu pork
- Chinese BBQ meats
- Luncheon meat or Spam
- Scrambled eggs
- Chicken or duck meat
- Fried tofu cubes
- Seasonings: The rice is seasoned with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
- Light soy sauce: I used light soy sauce for a salty and umami taste. If you have dark soy sauce, you can add it as well to have a darker color and slightly sweet taste. You can swap dark and light soy sauce with tamari, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce lends a hint of caramel, sweet, and savory taste. It is like a mix of soy sauce and barbecue sauce. If you need to replace this, you can use hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, kecap manis, Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce and sugar, oyster-flavored sauce, or fish sauce.
- Sugar: The sugar helps lessen the salty flavors of oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and meat ingredients. You can use white sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- Optional seasonings: If you want to change the taste of the rice, here are some seasonings to consider:
- Chinese five spice powder
- Butter
- White pepper powder
- Black pepper powder
- Shaoxing wine
- Sesame oil
- Bouillon powder
- Fried peanuts: You can use any type of peanuts, such as boiled, roasted, or salted. Some peanuts you may find are Runner, Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia. In this recipe, I used fried peanuts. The peanuts can be fried on a pan with light oil for 1 to 2 minutes while stirring continuously. Keep in mind peanuts cook fast, so make sure it does not overcook by stirring continuously and removing them from the pan as soon as possible.
- Garnish: The garnishes I used are green onions and coriander. Chopped green onions add a colorful element and lend a mild onion sweet taste. You can replace green onions with chives and shallots. For a touch of tart and citrus taste, use chopped fresh coriander. If you don’t have coriander, use coriander powder, chopped parsley, mint, or basil.
- Optional vegetables: If you want to make it fibrous, I recommend adding corn, diced carrots, and green peas, similar to what I did in my Chinese Sausage Fried Rice recipe. You can use frozen pre-packed mixed vegetables to lessen the preparation time.
What Pan To Use For Fried Sticky Rice
If you are familiar with fried rice, you may know that the key to fluffy fried rice is high heat.
However, today’s fried sticky rice is different from general fried rice like egg fried rice or Yangzhou fried rice.
The rice used here is raw sticky rice, unlike the cooked rice used in regular fried rice. When simmering the sticky rice, it needs low heat. If you use high heat, it’s prone to sticking to the pan, especially when using a wok.
For this recipe, I suggest using a non-stick pan. However, a wok will also work well.
Ingredients And Kitchenware For Fried Sticky Rice
You will need bowls for soaking and a non-stick pan or wok with a lid. Moreover, prepare a knife, chopping board, and spatula. Here are the ingredients to prepare:
- 2 to 3 cups of glutinous rice
- 1/2 cup of dried scallops
- 1/2 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of Chinese sausage
- 1/2 cup of Chinese cured pork belly
- 1/2 cup of dried mini shrimp
- 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 1/2 cup of fried peanuts
- 1/2 cup of chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh coriander
Detailed Steps To Make Fried Sticky Rice
To put it simply, the steps include soaking the rice and dried ingredients, cooking the rice in the pan, and stir-frying the rice with the meat and seasonings. The most important part of the recipe is stir-frying and simmering the rice, which should be done gradually while testing the rice out. Watch each step carefully with my Instagram or TikTok tutorial video.
Done making this recipe? Remember to tag me @kitchenmisadventures to share your creations. Leave a comment in the comments section for your tips and recommendations!
- Soak the glutinous rice in water overnight.
- Pre-soak the dried scallops, dried mini shrimp, and dried shiitake mushrooms for about 4 hours or until soft enough to chop.
- After soaking, make sure to set aside the water used for the mushrooms and dried scallops since you will need this in the stir-frying step.
- Chop the ingredients into smaller pieces, including Chinese sausage, Chinese cured pork belly, and shiitake mushrooms.
- Use the back of a knife to crush the dried scallops.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
- Heat the pan and stir-fry the chopped Chinese sausage and Chinese cured pork belly. I use a non-stick pan here, so there’s no need to add oil since the fats from the meat will melt and become oily. If you are using a wok, add a tablespoon of cooking oil to stir fry.
- Add the dried scallops and dried mini shrimp. Stir-fry until aromatic.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry to enhance the aroma. Remove the stir-fried ingredients and set aside.
- In the same pan with the leftover oil from the meat, add the soaked glutinous rice.
- Stir-fry over medium heat while gradually pouring mushroom water. Stir well. Do not pour all of the mushroom water or you risk making it mushy. You want to do this gradually as you check the texture of the rice.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 minute.
- Mix in more mushroom water and simmer for another minute. Check the texture and see if you need more or less mushroom water.
- Repeat steps 10 to 11 about 3 to 4 times or until the rice is cooked. Always taste the sticky rice to check for the desired softness or firmness.
- Mix in the rest of the stir-fried ingredients and fried peanuts. Now it is time to turn on high heat. Make sure to do a scooping motion so that the rice does not stick to the pan and burn.
- Give the sauce another mix and gradually add the sauce as you continue to stir-fry. Stir-fry the sauce until the rice has an even color.
- Finally, garnish with chopped green onions and chopped coriander.
- Serve while warm to enjoy this soft, sweet, and flavorful sticky rice. While waiting for the rice to be served, make sure to cover it to maintain its warm and moist texture. Do not leave it uncovered or you risk making the rice turn hard and super dry. Store it in an airtight container to preserve its moist and sticky texture.
Chinese Sticky Rice With Chinese Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups of glutinous rice
- 1/2 cup of dried scallops
- 1/2 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of Chinese sausage
- 1/2 cup of Chinese cured pork belly
- 1/2 cup of dried mini shrimp
- 2 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 1/2 cup of fried peanuts
- 1/2 cup of chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
- Soak the glutinous rice in water overnight.
- Pre-soak the dried scallops, dried mini shrimp, and dried shiitake mushrooms for about 4 hours or until soft enough to chop.
- After soaking, make sure to set aside the water used for the mushrooms and dried scallops since you will need this in the stir-frying step.
- Chop the ingredients into smaller pieces, including Chinese sausage, Chinese cured pork belly, shiitake mushrooms.
- Use the back of a knife to crush the dried scallops.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
- Heat the pan and stir-fry the chopped Chinese sausage and Chinese cured pork belly. I use a non-stick pan here, so there's no need to add oil since the fats from the meat will melt and become oily. If you are using a wok, add a tablespoon of cooking oil to stir fry.
- Add the dried scallops and dried mini shrimp. Stir-fry until aromatic.
- Add the shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry to enhance the aroma. Remove the stir-fried ingredients and set aside.
- In the same pan with the leftover oil from the meat, add the soaked glutinous rice.
- Stir-fry over medium heat while gradually pouring mushroom water. Stir well. Do not pour all of the mushroom water or you risk making it mushy. You want to do this gradually as you check the texture of the rice.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 minute.
- Mix in more mushroom water and simmer for another minute. Check the texture and see if you need more or less mushroom water.
- Repeat steps 10 to 11 about 3 to 4 times or until the rice is cooked. Always taste the sticky rice to check for the desired softness or firmness.
- Mix in the rest of the stir-fried ingredients and fried peanuts. Now it is time to turn on high heat. Make sure to do a scooping motion so that the rice does not stick to the pan and burn.
- Give the sauce another mix and gradually add the sauce as you continue to stir-fry. Stir-fry the sauce until the rice has an even color.
- Finally, garnish with chopped green onions and chopped coriander.
- Serve while warm to enjoy this soft, sweet, and flavorful sticky rice. While waiting for the rice to be served, make sure to cover it to maintain its warm and moist texture. Do not leave it uncovered or you risk making the rice turn hard and super dry. Store it in an airtight container to preserve its moist and sticky texture.
