Lotus
Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai)
Warmed lotus leaves are filled with rice,
mushrooms, chicken, shrimp, and seasonings.
(This recipe is adapted from Vicki
Liley's "Dim Sum", a cookbook in The Essential Kitchen series). As
seen on About.com

dried lotus leaves, photo by:
gourmetsleuth.comServes 10
I N G R E D I E N T S
5
dried lotus leaves, cut in half or use
banana leaves or aluminum foil
1 1/2 cups short-grain rice, washed and drained
4 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes to reconstitute, drained,
stems removed and chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
6 1/2 ounces ground (minced) chicken
4 ounces jumbo shrimp (green king prawns)
peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
2 Chinese pork sausages, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch (corn flour) mixed with 1 tablespoon water
I N
S T R U C T I O N S
First, prepare the lotus leaves. They
need to be soaked in hot water for about 15 - 20 minutes, and then patted dry. Next, line
a bamboo steamer with a few pieces of cabbage or a parchment paper so that the food will
not stick to the bottom. Add the rice and cover.
To steam, fill the wok approximately to the half-way point with water (the steamer should
be sitting above the water without touching). Bring the water to a boil and steam the
rice.
After the rice has cooled, divide it into ten equal portions.
Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is ready, add the ginger and stir-fry briefly, then add
chicken and shrimp, stir-frying until they change color. Add, in the following order,
Chinese sausages, mushrooms, soy sauce, rice wine, and oyster sauce and stir-fry
briefly.
Give the cornstarch mixture a quick restir. Make a "well" in the middle of the
wok and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring to thicken. Mix with the other ingredients,
and then remove from the wok and set aside.
Once the meat and vegetable mixture has cooled you can make the wraps. Begin by spooning a
portion of the rice mixture into the center of a lotus leaf. Add approximately 3 teaspoons
of the meat and vegetable mixture, placing it in the middle and forming a "rice
ring" around it. Fold the lotus leaf over the rice to form a package and tie with the
twine.
Reheat the wok with water for steaming and steam the wraps, a few at a time, for 15
minutes. (Add more boiling water to the wok as required). To serve, cut open the wraps.
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