Our Taste of Home: Vegan Sticky Rice 糯米飯 (no6mai5 faan6)

by Elise Dunn

Sticky Rice or 糯米飯 (Cantonese: no6mai5 faan6) is one of my favorite dishes that is easily customizable. I love adding dried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots, but all the toppings are up to you! Many recipes add dried shrimp and Chinese sausage 臘腸 (Cantonese: laap6 coeng2), but I opt to keep it vegan. The main ingredient that makes this dish delicious is the glutinous rice. This is a special rice that produces a sweet, sticky consistency when cooked. Despite the name, this rice does not contain gluten and cannot be substituted for regular white rice. You can find glutinous rice at any Asian grocery store.


My family eats sticky rice during Thanksgiving (which is unusual), and every year, I look forward to making and eating this dish. It is definitely a family favorite! By integrating this dish into our Thanksgiving, I love how our menu reflects my Chinese-American identity and family. The variety of textures in this dish, along with the mix of umami, sweet, and salty, always brings back memories of laughter, reunion, and celebration. Many people make this dish during the Lunar New Year or other Chinese holidays. However, you can enjoy sticky rice no matter the occasion!

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 min

Appliances: Rice cooker, pan/wok

Recipe: 

  • 2 cups glutinous/sweet rice

  • 2 tsp neutral oil

  • 1/2 small onion, diced

  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, diced

  • 1 large carrot, diced very small

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced/grated

  • 1 1/4 cup of water

Sauce:

  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp mirin

  • 1 tsp pure organic cane sugar

  • 1 tbsp vegetarian stir-fry sauce (or oyster sauce if not vegan)

  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 2 tsp sesame oil

Topping:

  • sesame seeds

  • chopped green onions

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rinse glutinous rice and place it in a large bowl with water. Soak for 3-4 hours or overnight.

  2. Once the rice is done, drain and set aside.

  3. Dice onion, mushroom, carrots, garlic, and ginger.

  4. In a large pan or wok, sauté onions for 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots, and other toppings of choice. Sauté until golden brown. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes.

  5. In another bowl, add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, oyster sauce, white pepper, salt, and sesame oil.

  6. Add sauce to the pan/wok and stir until everything is evenly combined.

  7. Add the mixture to the rice cooker and spread out an even layer. Add an even layer of the drained rice to the top. Pour water over the rice, making sure that it is level.

  8. Cook in the rice cooker until done (usually about 30 minutes).

  9. Fluff the rice and top with green onions and sesame seeds. And now it is ready to serve! Enjoy!

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