Lo Mai Gai (Cantonese Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice with Chicken)

Quick answer

Total time: 85 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Lo mai gai is a Cantonese dim sum staple of glutinous rice packed with diced chicken, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and dried shrimp, all seasoned with oyster sauce and soy sauce, then wrapped tightly in dried lotus leaves and steamed.

The lotus leaf is not incidental to the dish. When the package is exposed to steam heat, the leaf releases a grassy, subtly earthy fragrance that penetrates the rice and cannot be recreated by substituting parchment or foil. The glutinous rice absorbs the seasoning from the filling as it cooks, drawing in the savory-sweet fat of the Chinese sausage, the concentrated marine umami of the dried shrimp, and the deep, woodsy aroma of shiitake mushrooms. These flavors fuse into the rice so that every spoonful carries all of them at once rather than tasting like individual components. The parcel arrives at the table in a bamboo steamer, and unfolding the leaf at the table releases a rush of steam carrying the unmistakable lotus fragrance. The traditional way to eat it is directly off the opened leaf.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

glutinous rice350 gg

chicken thigh220 gg

shiitake mushrooms80 gg

soy sauce2 tbsptbsp

oyster sauce1 tbsptbsp

sesame oil1 tsptsp

lotus leaves4 pcspcs

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Rinse 350g glutinous rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in plenty of water for at least 4 hours.

The grains should look swollen and opaque so the centers do not stay hard after steaming.
2

Heat

Drain the soaked rice well and spread it evenly on a steamer tray or damp cloth.

Steam over strong steam for 20 minutes, until the grains turn partly translucent but still feel firm and only half-cooked.
3

Season

Cut 220g chicken thigh and 80g shiitake mushrooms into 1.5cm pieces so they cook evenly inside the parcel.

Mix with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and 1 tsp sesame oil, then marinate for 15 minutes.
4

Control

Heat a pan over medium heat, then add the marinated chicken and shiitake mushrooms.

Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the outside of the chicken changes color and the sauce thickens slightly.
5

Heat

Soak 4 lotus leaves in warm water for 10 minutes until pliable.

Overlap any torn spots, divide the half-cooked rice and filling among the leaves, and wrap each parcel tightly so steam can circulate without the contents leaking.
6

Control

Place the lotus leaf parcels in a fully steaming steamer and cook over medium-high heat for 25 minutes more.

Let them rest for 5 minutes, then open the leaves when the rice is tender and fragrant.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Lotus leaf in Lo Mai Gai infuses glutinous rice with grassy-earthy steam during cooking, not just wrapping it.
Finish cue: Let them rest for 5 minutes, then open the leaves when the rice is tender and fragrant.
Avoid this: Pre-steaming rice prevents a mushy texture.
Substitution: When the package is exposed to steam heat, the leaf releases a grassy, subtly earthy fragrance that penetrates the rice and cannot be recreated by substituting parchment or foil.