Rice Cooker Sticky Rice

I wanted to recreate the sticky rice (called "no mi" in Cantonese) of my childhood, but with the added convenience of using a rice cooker. I'm very happy to share my technique for delicious rice cooker sticky rice with you. This is the ultimate comfort food - full of flavour and goodness!

You will need a rice cooker. I used a small Zojirushi rice cooker which I am very happy with.

For the rice:

• 1 cup sticky white rice (do not use brown rice in this dish - it is too heavy)
• Optional - I like to add some peeled mung beans for texture, flavour and added nutrition. If adding these, use up to 1/3 cup mung beans to replace part of the rice. So if you use 1/3 cup mung beans, you will only use 2/3 cups rice

For the additions to the rice:

• 2 sweet Chinese sausages - these add a lot of flavour and fat to the rice
• 3 medium sized dried shitake mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 cup of raw shrimp (about 14 medium sized shrimp) OR 1 cup minced pork or beef
• Other optional ingredients: chopped green beans, dried lotus seeds (soak first), dried Chinese shrimp (soak first), sliced water chestnuts, peeled cooked chestnuts. In this instructable, the only optional ingredient I have added are the peeled cooked chestnuts

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

For the garnish:

• 2 chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, cashews, or toasted sesame seeds
• 1 egg, barely fried (optional)

Take your cup of rice and peeled mung beans and put in a large bowl. I use the rice cooker pot for convenience and dish efficiency. Add some cold water (you will be draining this later, so you don't need to measure the water).

Add very hot or boiling water to the dried shitake mushrooms and any other dried ingredients you may have added (e.g. dried shrimp, dried lotus seeds).

Leave both dishes to soak for at least 2 hours.

Pour out the rice and mung bean mixture into a mesh strainer. Rinse it under the tap, swishing it around with your fingers to remove excess starch. Let the water drain out completely while you are doing the next steps.

Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

• slice the Chinese sausage
• chop the onion
• squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and slice into small pieces
• cut the shrimp into bite-size chunks
• if using peeled cooked chestnuts, cut them in half
• mince the garlic and ginger

• add a tablespoon or so of oil to the pan and wait until it has warmed up. Then sprinkle the pan with salt and pepper
• add the ginger and garlic and gently saute for a minute
• add the onions and Chinese sausage and stir fry until the sausage starts to release a bit of oil
• add shrimp and chestnuts (if using) and stir fry until shrimp just starts to turn colour (a minute or two)

Add the sauce mixture and stir to coat ingredients. Remove from heat.

• put some of the drained rice and mung bean mixture at the bottom of the rice cooker.
• add the stir-fried ingredients
• add the rest of the rice and mung bean mixture
• stir to mix the ingredients
• gently pour 1 cup of cold water on top
• place in rice cooker and turn on the regular cycle for white or mixed rice. This will probably take longer to cook than plain white rice - this may depend on your rice cooker

One your rice cooker says it is done, lift the lid, stir, re-cover and keep on warm for another 10 minutes or so.

Lift the lid, fluff the rice and serve in individual rice bowls.

Add the garnishes (sliced green onions and chopped nuts). Another popular garnish is a barely-cooked fried egg with the yolk still runny, which will soak into the rice.

Enjoy! Leftovers keep well and can be reheated in the microwave.