We’re all guilty of staying in our comfort zones when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. I get it – no one wants to mess up the most important meal of the year! But if you’d like to try something different this year, Asian-inspired sides might be a good starting point if you’re not ready to make the centerpiece Asian-style turkey yet! Today I want to introduce you to the Chinese-inspired sticky rice stuffing. This recipe uses sticky rice, crunchy water chestnuts, tender Chinese sausage, umami shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce. The end product has a great texture and a comforting and rich taste. The recipe does require you to soak the rice in advance. But once that’s done, I guarantee you’ll be surprised how easy this recipe for sticky rice stuffing is.
Cooking notes
1. What is Chinese sausage
Chinese sausage is made from fatty pork. It is normally smoked, sweetened, and seasoned with rose water, rice wine, and soy sauce. Depending on the brand, the sausage itself can be quite tough and very sweet. But once cooked with the rice, it becomes buttery tender. The fat and sweetness melt into the gooey rice and all the diverse flavors in the pot come together.
2. Sticky rice stuffing workflow
You do need to prepare a few things before cooking. Prep (1) Soak the sticky rice the day before cooking. This step is very important, otherwise the rice will take forever to cook through. (2) The day of cooking, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms before preparing the other ingredients.
(3) Slice all the ingredients into even-sized pieces, to ensure a pleasant texture.
Cook (1) Saute the aromatics in butter. You can use vegetable oil too, but I found that butter gives the dish a richer aroma. (2) Cook the shiitake mushrooms and sausage. (3) Lightly saute the sticky rice so it is coated evenly with butter. (4) Add the water chestnuts and seasonings. (5) Cover the pot and steam until the rice is cooked through.
3. Burning bottom issue and how to clean up
In traditional Chinese cooking, chefs always use a steamer instead of a pot to cook sticky rice. Due to its starchy texture, the rice can very easily stick to the bottom of your pan and burn. The added soy sauce makes it even more susceptible. There are some sticky rice stuffing recipes that steam the rice first then bake it again after assembling. I found that process too complicated and decided to use an easier approach. The problem is, the bottom layer of the rice will be quite charred and stick to your pot. The good news is, you can easily clean off the toasted rice by boiling some water once you’re done cooking. You need to add about 2 inches of water to the pot and let it boil for 5 minutes or longer. Then use a wooden spatula to gently lift the rice from the bottom of the pot. Then rinse it with tap water.
Afterthoughts
Trying a new Thanksgiving recipe can be intimidating. In reality, it’s pretty easy to follow a recipe and transform your homemade feast into something memorable. Which is why I’m going to show you this foolproof way of creating an Asian-style Thanksgiving dinner. You can also make the sticky rice stuffing a few days ahead so you’ll only need to heat it up before serving. Spice up your Thanksgiving this year with this sticky rice stuffing recipe. Your family will beg you to make it every year after!
More Asian inspired Thanksgiving recipes
Curried Vegan Green Bean Casserole Chinese Brined Turkey (Extra Juicy and Crispy on All Sides) Thanksgiving Leftover Curry Puffs Kabocha Pumpkin Pie (a Lighter and Fluffier Pie)
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
