Eight Treasure Rice

This is a fabulous dish combining rice, mushrooms, sausages, chicken, onion, bamboo and soy sauce.

This is the celebrated eight-treasure rice eaten at Chinese New Year. In the early days of the Han dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), rice was considered a delicacy as millet was the staple grain. Eight-treasure rice depicts the almost spiritual significance of rice to the Chinese people, bringing good fortune and blessings to all at the beginning of a New Year.

Ingredients -

2 Cups Long-Grain White Rice
3 Cups Glutinous Rice

2 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
6 Chinese Dried Mushrooms, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, squeezed dry, stemmed, caps finely diced
2 Dried Chinese Sausages (lup chiang), diced
1 Boneless Chicken Thigh, diced
1 Tablespoon Dried Shrimp, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, drained
1/2 Cup Lotus Seeds, soaked in cold water 3-4 hours, drained
1/2 Cup Onion , diced
1/2 Cup Bamboo Shoots , diced
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Scallions, chopped

Preparation:

1. Combine the rice and wash 3 times.

2. Heat the peanut oil in a wok until almost smoking.

3. Add the Chinese sausages, chicken, dried shrimp, lotus seeds, onion, and bamboo shoots and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add the soy sauce, five spice powder, sesame oil, and salt.

5. Stir-fry and mix well.

6. Bring the rice to a rapid boil and continue to cook until the water is absorbed.

7. When almost all of the water has been absorbed, add the stir fried ingredients.

8. Mix them through the rice.

9. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 20 minutes.

10. Turn off the heat, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Cooking Tip

Wok Clean Up

A wok should never be washed with soapy water, the soap gets in the pores and seeps back into future stir-frys. Simply wipe your wok clean with damp paper towels.

Chinese Cooking Tip -

Wash Rice Thoroughly

Rice should be washed very thoroughly before cooking. This removes excess starch and the result is rice that is less sticky.

Chinese Cooking Tip -

Rice Snacks

When rice forms a crust at the bottom of the pan, remove the crust from the pan by soaking it with a small amount of water. Allow the rice to dry, break the crust into small pieces and deep fry for a few minutes to make some crunchy snacks.

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