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Chinese Savoury Sticky Rice – umami-packed, hearty, and so delicious. Sticky rice is one of those comfort foods that I can’t get enough of, especially if it’s cooked down in a tasty sauce.
You are watching: Chinese Savoury Sticky Rice – The Foodie Takes Flight
![](https://en.congthucvatly.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/salty-sticky-rice.jpg)
Growing up, sticky rice was a staple at home. I grew up with quite a few sticky rice dishes-from those wrapped in lotus leaves (lo mai gai), sticky rice dumplings (ma chang), and Hokkien salty rice (kiam peng).
This Chinese Savoury Sticky Rice is inspired by the kiam peng or kiampeng, which I grew up enjoying.
Kiam Peng is a Hokkien term that literally translates to ‘salty rice’ (kiam = salty, peng = rice) and despite it being called salty rice, I’d consider the flavour profile of this dish as savoury with a hint of sweetness and umami instead of just salty!
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/chinese-sticky-rice-pin-5-574x1024.png)
INSPIRED BY KIAM PENG
The kiam peng I grew up eating had a mix of carrots, greens such as bok choy, and pork but this version has mushrooms and tofu instead.
The kiam peng we’d make at home is usually cooked in a rice cooker or in a pot with all the sauce and the rest of the ingredients. I cooked this version by steaming the rice first and finishing it with the sauce and other ingredients on a stovetop.
Kiam peng can also be cooked with regular long grain rice or a mix of regular long grain and sticky rice.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-6-683x1024.png)
This savoury sticky rice is different from the kiam peng we’d usually cook since I use glutinous rice for this.
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To achieve the stickiness and retain the chewiness of the grains, I steamed my grains instead of cooking them in a rice cooker, which involves cooking down the rice in its starches.
TOFU AND MUSHROOMS
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-21-1024x685.png)
Instead of the usual pork for this dish, I used a mix of tofu and mushrooms that I sautéed with some seasoning.
I sliced the tofu into small cubes but it’s really up to you how you want to cut them up. I did want to make them small so they can absorb the sauce better.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-22-1024x679.png)
As for the mushrooms, I simply used fresh shiitake mushrooms and sliced them. You can also use other mushrooms of your choice!
I sautéed everything and set it aside to mix in with the rice later on.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-23-1024x684.png)
VEGGIES
I used some mustard greens and simply sautéed it to serve with the rice afterwards. You can also use other greens of your choice such as bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage, etc.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-25-1024x678.png)
USING GLUTINOUS RICE
For this recipe, I used glutinous rice, which contains more starch that regular rice, so you’ll really get these beautiful shiny and chewy grains after cooking.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-3-686x1024.png)
I soaked my glutinous rice in water for faster cooking. It’s best to soak it overnight but you can also do away with soaking it for 1-2 hours. Though note that it would take longer to cook via steaming since the rice hasn’t soaked for that long.
Steaming vs Boiling
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In case you’re wondering if you can just cook your rice in a rice cooker or pot with a few cups of water.. Well, that’s usually the case for other types of rice such as regular long grain rice (such as the type I used for my claypot rice-see below) but for this recipe that uses 100% glutinous rice, I wouldn’t recommend boiling the glutinous rice.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/clay-pot-rice-6-680x1024.png)
This is because glutinous rice is very starchy so boiling it would yield to a very sticky, mushy rice since it’ll basically cook and soak in its starch.
In some cases it can even come out as a paste-like consistency if too much liquid is absorbed and the grains don’t hold up.
By steaming the glutinous rice, it cooks through the steam and doesn’t touch any of the liquid that sits at the bottom.
Steaming it gets really nice, chewy, and whole grains so you get that good bite when enjoying the finished dish.
2 OPTIONS FOR STEAMING THE STICKY RICE
Option 1: Bamboo steamer
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-13-699x1024.png)
You can opt to steam your rice by placing it in a lined bamboo steamer (I used parchment paper to line mine)
I find that bamboo steamers are the best especially since they help absorb the moisture so it doesn’t stick to the lid and soak whatever is being cooked at the base.
This is the best option for steaming food such as dumplings so the dumplings don’t get soggy from the excess liquid that isn’t able to escape the steamer. But for rice, in this case, I find that any of the two options work.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-26-1024x681.png)
Look at the cooked glutinous rice grains!
Option 2: Regular Steamer
You can opt to use a regular steamer that you have. My rice cooker has a steaming option so I just placed it on the metal rack with the parchment paper as well.
![](https://thefoodietakesflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/kiampeng-kiam-pung-sticky-rice-28-683x1024.png)
COOKING AFTER STEAMING
After steaming the rice, I transferred it on the same pan used to pan-fry the tofu and mushrooms.
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Category: Cook