Cook: Chinese Sticky Rice with Sausage and Shiitake - Lo Mai Gai

I was born and raised in US, but my Chinese heritage has always been important to me.  Chinese new year is a big deal for my family, and my parents always ensured that we ate the symbolic foods and we try to be together on new years eve and day. 

For Chinese New Year, it is a popular tradition to eat "Nian Gao", or sticky dessert rice cake which symbolizes aiming high for the new year and "sticking together". I posted a recipe for a baked version here.  This year, I was excited because I developed this quick and easy instant pot recipe for sticky rice, based on this recipe by blogger Two Sleevers.  Chinese sticky rice or "Lo Mai Gai" in Cantonese is one of my and my husband's favorite dim sum foods.  I thought - "It's sticky, and we should stick together, so maybe it'll be a good item to contribute to our Chinese new year feast".  Well, lo and behold - google search did not associate sticky rice with a traditional Chinese new year food, but it's delicious, so I'm sharing the recipe below. Maybe we'll make it our own family tradition :)

Wong Family Instant Pot Chinese Sticky Rice
Servings 4-6, depending on your appetite

Ingredients

• heaping 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms - I used 10 medium sized ones, soaked until soft, stems removed and chopped into bite size pieces
• 2 cups glutinous rice
• 5-6 links Chinese Sausage "Lap Xuong" chopped into bite sized pieces
• 3.5 cups liquid (I used a mixture of the leftover water which I had soaked the shiitakes in and chicken broth, but water would be fine)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• * I did not add more salt because my chicken broth was salted but if you're using water, you can consider adding 1/2 to 1 tsp salt.    

Directions:

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. When they are soft, cut off the stems (the first time I did not, and I found they were still chewy and hard after cooking).  
2. Add all of the other ingredients into the pot, add the chopped mushrooms and give it a good stir.
3. Cook Manual - high pressure for 10 minutes, and then allow natural release pressure for 10 minutes, then release the remaining steam. 
4. Open the pressure cooker, stir to mix well.  Allow all water to absorb, and serve hot. 

Other additions while cooking include dried shrimp and peanuts.  I'd garnish with cilantro, but didn't have any on hand. Enjoy!