Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups sweet glutinous rice
  • 6 or 7 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 Chinese sausage links, casing removed, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fried shallots
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Method

  • Soak the sweet rice and mushrooms in room temperature water for an hour. The mushrooms will float, so place a lid or dish on top to weigh them down.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Start boiling 4 cups of water in a large pot.
  • Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and cut off the stems. Slice the mushroom caps and set aside.
  • Drain the rice and add to the boiling water. Make sure that the water covers the rice, adding more water if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until almost all the water is absorbed. The rice will have plumped but won't be soft yet.
  • In the meantime, heat up the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for a few minutes, until the fat is rendered out but the sausage still hasn't browned. Add the mushrooms and fried shallots and stir-fry for about a minute or two. Add the rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil and mix well.
  • Add the rice to the Dutch oven. Mix very well so that the rice is the same color throughout. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Fluff and serve with cilantro and sweet chili sauce, if desired.