Eight Treasure Rice

This is the celebrated eight-treasure rice eaten at Chinese New Year. In the early days of the Han dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), rice was considered a delicacy as millet was the staple grain. Eight-treasure rice depicts the almost spiritual significance of rice to the Chinese people, bringing good fortune and blessings to all at the beginning of a New Year. So, i cooked this dish for my friends who came to my New Year's Eve Potluck, hoping and wishing that they will have good fortune and blessings for the new year.

Ingredients:

2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups glutinous rice
10 cups water
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, squeezed dry, stemmed, caps finely diced
2 dried Chinese sausages (lup cheong), diced
1 boneless chicken thigh, diced
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, drained
1/2 can lotus seeds(From a can of boiled lotus seeds)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 scallions, chopped

Method:

Combine the rice and wash 3 times.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok until almost smoking. Stir-fry dried shrimp until fragrant, remove and set aside. Fry the Chinese sausages until fragrant, remove and set aside. Fry the diced chicken until brown and then add the mushrooms, onion, and bamboo shoots for 1-2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, five spice powder, sesame oil, and salt. Stir-fry to mix well, lastly add in the lotus seeds.

Cook the rice in the rice cooker with 10 cups of water and when it is done, add the stir-fried ingredients, mixing them through the rice. Cover and leave on warm for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

Stir the rice with chopsticks, adding the chopped scallions. Remove the rice from the pot and pack into a lightly oiled bowl, pressing in firmly.

(If preparing a day in advance, refrigerate in the bowl until just before needed.)

Steam the rice in the bowl for 10 minutes, and invert to serve.


Serves