Grandma's Fried Glutinous Rice (Loh Mai Fan)

This has to be one of my favorite food that grandma makes. I still remember her standing in front of the wok, stirring the glutinous rice so it wouldn't stick and also to ensure that it cooks evenly. After a while, this task was delegated to me. Soon enough, the recipe was handed to me and now I make my own grandma's fried glutinous rice.

It's call "Loh Mai Fan" in Cantonese and there are different ways and style to prepare this dish. This recipe is my favorite. Some of these ingredients might sound foreign (it should be!) but a trip to a Chinese supermarket should be enough to get all the ingredients needed. I don't eat Chinese sausage so I tend to omit it for this recipe. I realize that without using Chinese sausage, the result doesn't taste the same. And then I started using Shao Hsing rice cooking wine. The cooking wine gives the same aroma as Chinese sausage.

1 ½ cups rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped (save the liquid)
1 cup dried shrimps
1 cup dried squid, chopped
1 cup Chinese sausage, chopped (optional)
5 ½ cups glutinous rice
½ cup oil

½ cup liquid from rehydrating shiitake mushrooms
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice cooking wine (if not using Chinese sausage)
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
Enough water to cook the rice

Soak dried shrimps and dried squid in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain well. Rinse glutinous rice under running water until water is clear. Drain well.

In a wok, heat oil on medium heat Add dried shrimp, dried squid and Chinese sausage. Fry for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in garlic and shiitake mushroom. Stir. Fry for another 10 minutes.

Add in glutinous rice and mix well. Add in mushroom liquid, soy sauce, Shao Hsing rice wine (if omitting chinese sausage), white pepper and water. Mix well. Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Every 5 minutes, check to see if the glutinous rice mixture is too dry. Add more water, cover and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Repeat process until rice is completely cooked. Depending on the type of glutinous rice you use, it should cook between 45 minutes to an hour. Rice is cooked when it is translucent and no longer appears white.