Name: Almond Rice in Lotus Leaves
Cuisine: Hakka
Ingredients: ¼ cup dried shrimp, soaked ½ hour in hot water, then cut into ¼-inch pieces; 2 cups water; 2 scallions, washed, dried, with both ends trimmed, and cut into ¼-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 cups rice, preferably short-grain, though long-grained rice may be used; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 6 Chinese mushrooms, soaked ½ hour in hot water, stems removed, cut into ¼-inch pieces; 2 whole lotus leaves, soaked in hot water for ½ hour; ½ teaspoon salt; 4 fresh water chestnuts, peeled, washed, dried, and cut into ¼-inch cubes; 1½ teaspoons sugar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce; 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce; 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce; Pinch of white pepper; 2 cups cold water; 6 Chinese sausages, washed; ½ cup whole blanched almonds (skinless)

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Eileen Yin-fei Lo's New Cantonese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 1988

About

Almonds are eaten widely in China and are thought to add to one’s good health. What I have created with them is a variation on a classic dish of the Hakka people, in which rice and vegetables, meats, or shellfish are steamed in closed fresh lotus leaves. Fresh lotus leaves impart an utterly marvelous fragrance to the rice. Unfortunately, only dried lotus leaves are available in Asian food stores. The dried leaves, when soaked and wrapped around the rice, do, however, give some of that aroma