2 Simple Ways to Cook Delicious and Irresistible Pigeon Sticky Rice at Home

Prepare the ingredients

Peel the shallots and slice them thinly.

Rinse the sticky rice in a bowl, using your hands to gently rub the rice to remove dirt, then soak in water for about 3 – 4 hours or overnight to soften the rice.

Next, drain the rice in a colander, add 2 teaspoons of salt, and toss well to ensure the salt is absorbed into the rice.

Cook the sticky rice

When using the sticky rice, you should use your hands to pick up handfuls of rice and place them in the steamer to keep the rice fluffy. Avoid dumping the whole bowl of rice into the pot as it may cause the sticky rice to become mushy.

Spread the rice evenly using your hands or chopsticks, and then use a spoon to create about 5 – 6 steam holes to allow steam to rise, preventing the bottom of the sticky rice from becoming mushy.

Add enough water to fill about 1/3 of the steamer pot below, then place it on the stove and bring the water to a boil. After that, place the steaming rack on top to steam the sticky rice.

Steam the sticky rice over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the pigeon

First, wash the pigeon thoroughly with 1/2 a piece of ginger (sliced) and 100ml of alcohol to eliminate the unpleasant smell, then rinse again with water and let it drain.

Remove the head and feet of the pigeon, cut it into small pieces, and then mince it finely. Since pigeon bones are very soft, you can also mince the bones; use a large knife or a specialized grinding machine.

After mincing, put it in a bowl to marinate with seasonings, including: 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning salt, 1/2 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder, then mix well to let the seasonings absorb into the meat and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Stir-fry pigeon meat

Heat a pan on the stove and pour in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, then add the onion and sauté until golden and crispy. Once done, remove the onion to a bowl to cool, and add it back when serving.

Next, stir-fry the minced pigeon until cooked and add in 1/3 of the fried onions. Once the pigeon meat is cooked, turn off the heat.

Completion

After steaming, pour half a cup of coconut milk over the sticky rice and use chopsticks to fluff it up evenly, then cook for about 10 more minutes.

When the sticky rice is done cooking, add the stir-fried pigeon meat into the sticky rice and mix well.

Final product

Finally, just take the pot down, scoop the sticky rice into a bowl, sprinkle with fried shallots, and enjoy. You will feel the stickiness of the glutinous rice, the rich sweetness of the pigeon that you can eat without getting tired of it.

With the appeal and high nutritional value of this dish, don’t forget to show off your cooking skills for the whole family to enjoy!

Cooking sticky rice

Wash the sticky rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 6 – 8 hours, then drain and mix in 2 teaspoons of salt.

Place it in a steamer, add water to the rice cooker, and turn on the steaming mode. After about 20 – 30 minutes, add 1 tablespoon of pork fat for glossy sticky rice grains.

Prepare the pigeon meat

Wash the European pigeon with salt and let it drain. Separate the meat, chop it, and then grind it in a blender.

Transfer the pigeon meat to a mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and ground pepper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until they expand, then remove and drain, cutting them into small dice.

Peeled shallots should be washed and then sliced with a knife.

Stir-fry the filling

Heat a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it up.

Sauté the shallots until fragrant, remove them into a bowl, leaving a little in the pan. Add the pigeon meat and stir-fry with the shiitake mushrooms until cooked, then turn off the heat and add the Vietnamese coriander, stirring to mix.

Making pigeon sticky rice

After steaming the white sticky rice, scoop it into a bowl and mix well with the pigeon meat and shiitake mushrooms, then place it in the steamer for another 10 minutes. Scoop the sticky rice into a bowl and sprinkle fried shallots on top.

Final product

You can serve it with mixed vegetables or pickled radish to reduce greasiness. The sticky rice grains are glossy, soft, and chewy, while the pigeon meat is evenly infused with spices, maintaining its sweetness and aroma.