Glutinous Rice with Dried Shrimps, Chinese mushrooms and peanuts (糯米饭)

After making the Kaya Glutinous Rice Cake, I still have more than half a packet of glutinous rice sitting in my cupboard. I did not wish to see any rice weevils so I have to use it up before the shelf life expires. So what should I make? Quick...quick... 

This dish which I am sharing is a typical Chinese Singaporean breakfast and it can be seen as a common celebratory dish to welcome the new born babies. I think the success factor of the dish goes to the tenderness of the grains and the blend of accompaniments that complements the sticky rice. The only tough thing about making this dish is that each ingredients must be fried to fragrant before mixing with the pre-soaked rice. After that you can send the blend of ingredients to steam to perfection!

Recipe (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 500g Glutinous rice , rinsed, soaked in water for at least 4 hours and drained
• 100g Peanuts with skin, fried till golden brown
• 50g Dried shrimps, soaked for 30 minutes
• 5 pc Dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked till soft and thinly sliced 
• 200g Pork Belly, cut into thin strips
• 75g Shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks Spring onions, chopped 
• 1 Red Chili, chopped
• 150ml Water
• 1/2 tbsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp White Pepper
• 1/2 tbsp Dark Soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Light Soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil 
• 11/3 tsp Sugar
• 5 tbsp Cooking oil 
• 
  

Steps:

1. Heat up the wok and add in cooking oil. 
2. Fry the shallots till golden brown over medium heat. Remove shallots and leave the oil in the wok. 
3. Fry the mushrooms till fragrant for about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and leave the oil in the wok. 
4. Fry the dried shrimps till fragrant. Be careful as oil may spatter. Remove half the shrimps and set aside. 
5. Add in pork and fry till it turns opaque. Add in half of the fried mushrooms and half the of fried shallots. 
6. Add in the drained glutinous rice. Mix well. 
7. Add in the seasoning and water. Fry for 1 minute. 
8. Transfer to a steaming tray and steam for 40 minutes. 
9. Remove the tray from heat and let it cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fried peanuts, rest of the mushrooms, dried shrimps and shallots. Top it with spring onions and chili as desired. 

If you are wondering how I fry the peanuts... All I did was to deep fry them in a saucepan of hot oil. Put the peanuts in a metal strainer and lowered it into the oil. In less than 30 seconds, the peanuts are browned perfectly. You will noticed the peanuts had shrunk a little. These peanuts are good to eat on their own too.