Savory sticky rice packed with umami flavors like Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms. A yum cha classic!

What is Lo Mai Fan?

Lo Mai Fan (糯米飯) or “savory sticky rice” is a Chinese rice dish made from sticky rice and a collection of umami-packed savory ingredients. It is also known as “you fan” (油飯) which translates to oily rice. This is because the rice has a shinier appearance and higher oil content than regular rice.

There are so many different variations of the dish but the ingredients that make the biggest difference in flavor include shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausages, dried shrimp or scallops, fried shallots, and pork mince.

While this dish is served regularly on meal tables it also is a staple at dim sim or yum cha. You’ll notice them overturned in little glass bowls being pushed around the dining hall. One of my all-time faves. it is similar to Lo Mai Gai (糯米雞), but less complex as it doesn’t need to be wrapped in a lotus leaf and steamed.

Traditionally the sticky rice is soaked for a long period of time before being cooked directly in the wok. However, this method is time-consuming and not foolproof for most home cooks so I’ve used cooked sticky rice instead. Pre-cooking the rice makes this recipe so easy and makes almost no difference to the final dish.

Ingredients

Rice

• Glutinous rice: Any kind of glutinous rice brand will work here, but for the best texture and appearance I recommend using long-grain sticky rice
• Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice helps to break up the stickiness of the glutinous rice, especially when you are stir-frying it
• Soy sauce: This gives fragrance and seasoning that is cooked into the rice, rather than coated on it later
• Dark soy sauce: This is mainly to give the rice a dark brown color

To Stir Fry

• Vegetable oil: Any kind of neutral oil will work, the oil is used to fry out the aromatic ingredients and bring the dish together
• Dried shrimp: An essential in making lo mai fan as it brings a deep umami flavor
• Lap cheung: Chinese sausage is also an essential ingredient, it adds that smoky flavor to the rice while also giving the rice that umami oiliness from the rendered fats
• Shiitake mushrooms: Another umami flavor bomb, make sure your mushrooms have been soaked in water for an hour or so, until it is soft before you use it
• Spring onion: This adds color and freshness to the final dish, breaking up a little bit of the oiliness and heaviness of the dish
• Oyster sauce: This adds a sweet-savory flavor to the rice, vegetarian oyster sauce will also work here
• Light soy: Soy sauce here gives the rice a final seasoning and fragrance
• Dark soy: Dark soy gives the rice that iconic dark color that it’s known for, as well as a deeper umami flavor
• Sesame oil: This helps to finish off the rice, giving it a touch of nuttiness, fragrance and shine

How to cook Chinese Sticky Rice

1. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in your wok over high heat
2. Add the dried shrimp, cured pork belly, Chinese sausage, and dried scallops, and stir fry for a minute until fragrant
3. Turn the heat to low and add the sticky rice, dried mushrooms, oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy and sesame oil

4. Break up the sticky rice with your wok lade or spatula and then press the rice into the bottom of the pan to make it crispy for a few minutes
5. Then add your spring onion and toss to combine
6. Transfer the rice to a bowl and serve

Chinese Sticky Rice (Lo Mai Fan)

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Print Recipe

Savory sticky rice packed with umami flavors like Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms. A yum cha classic!

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 2 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Rice

• 1 cup Glutinous rice
• 1/4 cup Jasmine rice
• 2 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce

To Stir Fry

• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Dried shrimp
• 5 pieces Dried scallop (optional), broken up
• 2 Lap Cheung (Chinese sausage), thinly sliced
• 10g Chinese cured pork belly, roughly chopped
• 4 Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until softened and roughly chopped
• 1 Spring onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Oyster sauce
• 2 tsp Light soy
• 1 tsp Dark soy
• 2 tsp Sesame oil

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Instructions

Rice

1. Add the jasmine rice and sticky rice to the pot of your rice cooker and wash until the water runs clear
2. Fill the pot with water so that the rice is fully covered with a couple of inches of water extra, and let the rice soak for 20 minutes
3. Once soaked pour out the water and add enough water so the rice is just covered
4. Add the seasonings and stir to combine
5. Then cook as per your rice cooker instructions
6. Remove the rice from the rice cooker and set aside until time to stir fry

To Stir Fry

1. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in your wok over high heat
2. Add the dried shrimp, cured pork belly, Chinese sausage, and dried scallops, and stir fry for a minute until fragrant
3. Turn the heat to low and add the sticky rice, dried mushrooms, oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy and sesame oil
4. Break up the sticky rice with your wok lade or spatula and then press the rice into the bottom of the pan to make it crispy for a few minutes
5. Then add your spring onion and toss to combine
6. Transfer the rice to a bowl and serve

• Author: Vincent Yeow Lim
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Rice
• Method: Easy
• Cuisine: Cantonese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 647
• Sugar: 2.8 g
• Sodium: 1207 mg
• Fat: 21.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 93.5 g
• Fiber: 4.9 g
• Protein: 19.6 g
• Cholesterol: 21.3 mg