Pickles and Tea Grandma Pearl’s Thanksgiving Sticky Rice Stuffing (Instant Pot Version)

Lap cheong (Chinese sausage), chestnuts and both jasmine and glutinous rice make for a delicious Thanksgiving side.

Sticky rice stuffing is a staple for many Chinese American families at Thanksgiving. It is a riff on “naw mai fun” or “lo mai gai,” two very traditional Chinese recipes. My friend Wing gave me his grandmother’s recipe to include in my very first cookbook—The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. Grandma Pearl used both long grain rice and glutinous rice in her Thanksgiving recipe but feel free to use either or. She also included water chestnuts but I’m not a fan so I excluded them in this updated Instant Pot version.  

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes (not including soaking time)

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 cup glutinous rice (also called sticky rice)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 4 links lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced
• 4 ounces chestnuts, chopped
• 8 large dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes, squeezed dry and sliced (reserve 1 cup of the soaking water)
• 1-1/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Wash the rice until it runs clear ( 3 to 4 times). Let it drain in a sieve over a bowl or the sink.
2. Select SAUTE and set to HIGH/MORE. When hot, sauté the lap cheong for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Add the onion and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Remove the lap cheong and onion. Press CANCEL.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat with the remaining fat. Add the mushroom water, chicken stock, soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, and black pepper and stir to mix well.
4. Layer the mushrooms, onion and lap cheong mix, and chestnuts on top of the rice.
5. Lock the lid. Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL and set to LOW for 12 minutes (use the RICE function if you have it). Make sure the steam release valve is sealed. Once pressurized (25 to 30 minutes), the cook cycle will start. When the timer beeps, allow it to release naturally for 5 minutes then press quick release.
6. When the float valve drops, press CANCEL and open the lid. Stir all the ingredients together and taste. Adjust seasonings if desired.
7. Moisten the rice stuffing with turkey drippings and/or chicken stock (this is entirely optional!) and serve as a side dish with turkey.

 Note: If you don’t have dried mushrooms, use shiitakes or any other mushroom you like, and use more stock or water instead.