Lor Mai Kai (糯米鸡）- Glutinous Chicken Rice

This is Malaysian style glutinous chicken rice (Lor Mai Kai - 糯米鸡) that I grew up eating. In the old days, it was common to see a lot of small aluminium bowls sitting in the large steamer at the dim sum restaurants or stalls selling dim sum. When customers order it, seller will run a bamboo spatula around the bowl then invert the rice onto serving plate.

I ate quite a lot of lor mai kai when I was little, below 10 year-old if I remember correctly. One of our neighbours was doing dim sum business, and we always went to their house for watching TV or video. Before the show, sometimes I was asked to help them in washing aluminium bowls used for steaming lor mai kai. And, I was rewarded with lor mai kai and siew mai. By the way, we did not have electricity supply until I was around 15 year-old.

Lor mai kai is without salted egg yolk originally, but I added salted egg yolk as T loves salted egg yolk very much. Also, I have left out Chinese sausage this time, no stock on hand.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings):
3 cup glutinous rice, rinsed and soaked 4-5 hours or overnight
300gm boned chicken thigh, sliced
3-4 shiitake mushroom, soaked and shredded
1 Chinese sausage, thinly sliced (some people use char siew)

A
1 cm ginger, minced
1-2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp shaoxing wine (chinese cooking wine)
½ tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp corn starch

B
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 bulbs shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp dark soy sauce
*1 tbsp light soy sauce
*1 tbsp oyster sauce
*½ tsp salt (or to taste)
*½ tbsp sesame oil
*½ tsp ground white pepper
*Pinch of 5-spices powder
1 cup water

Methods:

1. Marinate chicken and shiitake mushroom with ingredients A for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok, sauté garlic and shallot until fragrant. Stir in glutinous rice and ingredients B marked with *. Stir until rice is coated with the sauce evenly.
3. Add in water and cook until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat.
4. In each steaming bowl, place 2-3 slices of Chinese sausage follow by 2-3 pieces chicken and mushroom. Next, fill in glutinous rice until three quarter full.
5. Steam in preheated steamer for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
6. Turn the heat off, keep the cover on for about 10 minutes before taking them out from steamer to prevent surfaces from drying out.
7. Run a spatula or knife around the bowl then invert lor mai kai onto a plate and serve warm with some chili sauce (optional).

Tips:
Soaked rice is very fragile, do not rub it to retain its nice grain shape.
Steamed lor mai kai can be kept warm in the steamer before serving.