saghar of lab noon sent out a call for a virtual midsummer potluck for peace, and i was on board 3409%. i don’t feel as fragile now as i did back in november, in a post-election haze. you know, when my already tear-y instincts were heightened to the point where i almost started bawling in the middle of lecture. i think it’s partially because i try not to linger in certain social media black holes, and partially because i’m still ensconced in my bubble. there’s so much crud out there to deal with, and sometimes i feel paralyzed by all that we need to do and my lack of political power considering how i’m simply 1 citizen. but what i can do is talk to people; all of you, for example. tell me about politics, your communities, anything. i want to listen, learn, and make a conversation that is constructive as much as it is friendly.
onto the food, since discussion is always better with belly filling sustenance. no mai fan, or chinese sticky rice, isn’t particularly summer food. tbh, it’s much more holiday food to me. but it’s slightly chewy and savory, and i can’t help but think that a bowlful of this would go a long way towards mellowing people out and ushering in a touch more peace.
the combo of normal and sticky rices makes it sticky and chewy, but not gluey. there’s salty, crispy, fatty lap cheong, which i view as the chinese sausage king. earthy mushrooms and crunchy peanuts give this a bit more heartiness, which gets balanced out by the oniony scallions and herby cilantro. if you’re not familiar with dried shrimp, this dish might be a bit fragrant, but i promise it’s less intimidating in flavor than it is in scent.
check out all the other posts for this potluck!
adventures in cooking: strawberry rhubarb pie ice cream sandwiches
an edible mosaic: middle eastern spiced green beans with olive oil and tomato
brewing happiness: healthy southern baked beans
cloudy kitchen: earl grey blueberry pie
cook til delicious: cold sesame peanut noodles
displacedhousewife: strawberry scone-cakes with fresh orange blossom whipped cream
floating kitchen: blistered green beans with apricots and chive blossoms
ginger & toasted sesame: walnut bread with boursin and prosciutto
harvest and honey: chasing summer
hortus cuisine: panino with roasted peppers, pesto & arugula
on the plate: sriracha scotch eggs
ruby josephine: halwa d’tmar (moroccan date-stuffed cookies)
tasty seasons: grilled mojito chicken
tending the table: roasted cauliflower with pine nuts, parsley and currants
terminatetor kitchen: strawberry shortcakes with gluten-free yogurt biscuits & mint whipped cream
the little epicurean: halo-halo
this mess is ours: simple tomato & avocado salad
twigg studios: roasted beet leek and feta quiche
vermilion roots: tofu salad with spiced peanut sauce
wood and spoon: strawberry almond skillet cake
1 year ago: Cherry Jasmine Waffles, Apricot Melon Basil Popsicles
2 years ago: West Coast Brownies, Kimchi Fried Rice on Thursdays
No mai fan, or Chinese sticky rice, is filled with treasures like fatty lap cheong, tender shiitake mushrooms and crunchy peanuts.
- 1 cup uncooked sticky/sweet/glutinous rice
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 T oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 T soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp fish sauce
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 links lap cheong/Chinese sausage cut into small discs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp soaked for 15 minutes in warm water
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 5 shiitake mushrooms diced (if using dried, soak in warm water until softened)
- 2 scallions chopped
- cilantro and roasted peanuts to garnish
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Cook the rice in a rice cooker. I suppose you could do it stovetop instead, but why?
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Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauces, fish sauce, sesame oil and salt in a small bowl. Heat a wok or frying [an over medium heat. Add the lap cheong; cook until crispy and it has rendered its fat. Add the garlic, shrimp, onion and mushrooms; cook until golden and fragrant.
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Add the rice and break it up with a spatula. Add the sauce and mix until well-combined. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.
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Mix in the scallions. If you want to get fancy (completely optional), you can pack the rice into a bowl rinsed in warm water and invert it onto a plate. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts, and serve hot.
Recipe adapted slightly from The Woks of Life.
If you want a higher rice to topping (the shiitake and lap cheong and such), you can increase the amount of white rice to 2 cups. Just be sure to adjust the seasoning quantities.
The quantities for the seasonings are merely suggestions; I typically eyeball anyways. Adjust to your tastes accordingly.
more of my favorite comfort food
This sticky rice dish looks yummy!! Anyone at a potluck would be lucky to get this!
As for politics, I respect others opinions. And usually I keep my opinions to myself 😉
thanks, kelly! and i think respect is super important! can everyone be a tiny bit more respectful on facebook and twitter? i think it’d make our communities a lot less defensive and more open-minded (:
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I’m all about peace! Bring on the sticky rice! 🙂
i’m all for peace and sticky rice (;
Wow this sticky rice looks so yummy !!! would definitely enjoy this.
thanks, supriya! (:
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
Such a delicious dish for a potluck! Like that you use dried shrimp. I gotta try this.
dried shrimp is so good! maybe a little unusual or scary looking or fragrant the first time you use it, but pretty easy to use (:
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
[…] Delicious Not Gorgeous: No Mai Fan […]
Comfort food at its best, for sure! Love the idea of the Potluck such gorgeous recipes! Thanks!
thanks, laura 😘
This looks so delicious! This picnic was so fun!
x
thanks, erin!! 😊 and yes, i loved seeing what everyone came up with!
Ah I’m sorry that the political state of your country leaves you feeling distressed. It’s uncomfortable for us even here in Canada! But as you say, onto the food. This looks so delicious, and so unique. I’d love to try making it soon!!
in a way, i’m a tiny bit glad that this political environment is so crazy. i hope that it acts as a wake up call, and forces people to vote more, since that’s one of the only sure fire ways that we can enact change.
What a great initiative. I’m going to have to read up to see what’s in Chinese sausages so I can make my own.
ooh, would love to hear about how you’re getting on with making lap cheong! haven’t even thought to make my own, but i’m sure it’d be an adventure (;
I love the meaning behind this virtual potluck! As for the food, even though this isn’t necessary summer food, this is something that I would love to have year-round. I love lap cheong and shiitake mushrooms!
thanks, marie! lap cheong and shiitake are some of my go to’s when i want cozy, comforting food :3
This dish seems perfect for any kind of potluck, to me! I, too, was a bit of a mess last November, but it is so heartening to see people pushing harder to spread love and peace, even through ways as simple as this blogger collaboration. I looove your rice dish and will definitely be making it soon! xx
i think that’s one of the best parts of this whole thing. seeing all the people who are going out of their way to make change and speak for our democracy is so inspiring and empowering. and hope you like this dish!
Yum! Such a delightful recipe! I will definitely try it!
thanks agness!!
Such a yummy and comforting recipe! And I bet it smells absolutely amazing! I’d even eat this for breakfast 🙂
ooh, this would be such a hearty breakfast (: i could definitely get behind a leftover bowl of this on a cold winter morning!
I wonder if my husband would like this one! I know he’s a rice fan 🙂
oooh that wordplay (; fan means rice in chinese, so seeing “rice fan” (even though i’m betting you did it unintentionally) made me crack up!
I’m having a lot of feelings about how delicious this look!!!
thanks kate (:
This looks so delicious, the presentation is extremely beautiful! 🙂
awh, thanks pamela!
I’m not familiar with Chinese sausage but No Mai Fan certainly does look like yummy comfort food =) Thank you for the recipe!
it’s almost like salami! it’s pretty dense and dry. it crisps up beautifully in a pan, though my family also sometimes cooks it into rice. it’s a little bit healthier when you pan-fry it, though, since you can render and drain off some of the fat.
Love me some sticky rice! And for peace, heck yes
same! the texture is so great.
I’m with you on needing positive contact with people in the state of affairs we live in. I do prefer to live in a bubble…I can’t change anything, so why engage in it? I’ll stick to the kitchen myself 🙂
i’m kind of still in a bubble, tbh. i’m personally not affected by a lot of the changes at the moment. but just because i’m not under attack, does that mean i should still live in a bubble? i want to hold myself to higher standards, but i’m feeling somewhat cynical like you about my political/social power, so my involvement is kind of at a stalemate. ANYWAYS, i’d love to hole up in the kitchen for days and ignore the world. national hole up in your kitchen and make comfort food for everyone day? (;
I have to live in a bubble sometimes in order to avoid becoming completely paralyzed by feelings of powerlessness. A potluck for peace is an amazing idea and a mixed rice dish like this is always my go-to comfort food choice, even in summer.
ugh yes i hate that feeling! i went through a phase of googling and asking on twitter to look up specific action items, but i’m still feeling a bit at a loss for what i can do.
I love any kind of rice dish, sticky or non sticky. Perfect for potluck 🙂
thanks, kankana! this is at the majority of my family potlucks, so i can back up how perfect this is for potlucks (:
I am all for peace, potlucks and sticky rice. What a delicious sounding recipe!
same. thanks, ruby!
Anything for peace, right?!?! I have never made this, but it looks like an awesome comfort food/peacemaking food. I think we should all be writing our congress person to tell them: “Heather has the solution!” 😉
LOL. would sending no mai fan (and other delicious comfort food) to our congressmen help drive our concerns home? that’d be awesome. (i also kind of doubt it, because i think there was a story about pizzas sent and turned away from a congressman’s office, but i still think it’d be cool).
Ahhh yes, I live in Australia and feel for you guys and the state of your political situation. Not that ours is much better tho. I tend to not go into it too much these days, as it makes me feel a little bit mental, my mind boggles. Thank goodness for the food, huh? This looks so yum, and just the right amount of quickness to produce and have in my belly too.
how does one even start to keep up with all of the ongoings in the world? my brain is preoccupied with everything happening in the us and london, but i really need to catch up on everywhere else. thanks, anna (:
This is such a awesome comfort food to me. Chewy rice makes everything better! Lap cheong is the cherry on top! 😀
sticky rice and lap cheong are always delicious (: thanks, joyce!
Love the potluck and spreading of peace. And most of all this traditional meal. Looks amazing!
thanks zainab!! (:
My head starts to spin when politics is involved 😉 but I’m always interested in food, especially no mai fan. I love the dried shrimp (extra umami), lap cheong and all the stuff in the no mai fan. Comforting for that body and soul!
dried shrimp and lap cheong always make things better! (and fish sauce). completely agree that no mai fan is soul food (:
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I hear ya on the social media blackhole lately. It’s kinda sad. I mean I have my own opinions about politics, but I try to keep them to myself. My thoughts are my thoughts, and I don’t need to try to tell everyone and their brother about them. But that’s just my opinion! Switching over to the food here, I love chinese sticky rice…but we hardly ever make it around here. I’ll have to give it a go here soon. This looks delicious, Heather!
i live in a bubble, and it’s very comfortable in that bubble. but i feel obligated to try to understand what other people are thinking outside of my bubble, even if most of the time it leaves me annoyed and confused. and as for the sticky rice: once you grab some pantry items, they keep for a while and then you can make sticky rice whenever you want!! (it’s a dangerous thing to be able to do).