2 ways to cook delicious and eye-catching savory and vegetarian sticky rice for breakfast

Prepare the lotus seeds

Frozen lotus seeds should be soaked in cold water for about 10 – 15 minutes to thaw.

When the lotus seeds are soft, gently split them in half by hand to avoid breaking them, then remove the core to prevent bitterness in the cooked sticky rice.

Place a pot on the stove with 400 ml of water, then add the lotus seeds. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the lotus seeds are soft.

Soak the sticky rice

Rinse the sticky rice several times with water to clean off dirt.

Put the rice in a bowl and soak it in cold water for 15 minutes.

Prepare the mushrooms

Soak the shiitake mushrooms and fresh mushrooms in saltwater to clean them, then rinse with cold water.

Slice the washed mushrooms thinly.

Prepare the other ingredients

Peel the carrot, wash it clean, and then cut it into small dice.

Wash the green onion, remove the leaves. Cut the green leaves into small pieces. The remaining white part should be cut in half and sliced thinly.

Separate 3 leaves of cabbage, wash them clean, and then cut them into small squares.

Combine the carrots and cabbage in a bowl, then season with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and let it sit for 10 minutes for the mixture to absorb the seasoning, then drain the water.

Frying Shallots

Heat a pan on high heat until hot, then add about 5 tablespoons of soybean oil. When the oil is really hot, add the sliced shallots.

When the shallots start to turn slightly golden, add the remaining half of the chopped shallots.

Fry until the shallots turn a beautiful golden color, then turn off the heat. Strain through a sieve to let the shallots drain and cool.

Cooking Sticky Rice

Take the soaked sticky rice and place it in the pan, then add 250 ml of cold water. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Place the pan on the stove and cook on low heat until the sticky rice starts to boil, then gently stir to allow the rice to absorb the water and avoid burning.

When the sticky rice has absorbed all the water in the pan, turn off the heat.

Steaming sticky rice

Place a thin layer of torn banana leaves on the steaming tray, then pour the sticky rice in to prevent it from falling through.

Spread the sticky rice evenly and make a few small holes on the surface so that steam can escape easily, helping the rice to cook more evenly.

Next, add the cooked lotus seeds.

The water in the bottom pot of the steamer should be about 1/2 full, bring the water to a strong boil, then place the sticky rice tray on top, cover, and steam for 10 minutes.

Sautéing onions and mushrooms

Heat a pan on the stove, add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the remaining onions and sauté. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning.

Transfer the onions to a bowl, leaving a little in the pan, then add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and add the mushrooms to sauté over high heat.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Stir until the mushrooms are dry.

Stir-fried carrots and cabbage

Add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan and then add the cabbage and carrots to stir-fry over high heat. Stir continuously until the mixture dries out, then turn off the heat.

Complete the dish

Once the sticky rice is steamed, place the stir-fried mushrooms in one corner of the sticky rice.

Add the cabbage and carrots on top of the sticky rice and then sprinkle fried onions over it.

Drizzle some scallion oil on top of the sticky rice, and the delicious vegetarian salty sticky rice dish is ready for the whole family.

Final Product

Serve the savory vegetarian sticky rice on a plate with evenly cooked sticky rice grains that are not broken, and the rich, sweet aroma of sticky rice, along with the faint fragrance of fried shallots. Moreover, there’s the nutty, creamy flavor of lotus seeds, the naturally sweet and chewy texture of mushrooms, and the crunchiness of stir-fried cabbage and carrots, accompanied by a little soy sauce, making it a truly wonderful combination!

This dish is not only delicious but also easy to make and super quick, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get started right away!

Soak the glutinous rice

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

Cut off the roots of the green onion and peel the outer layer, then wash it clean and chop it finely.

Prepare the mushrooms

Soak the wood ear mushrooms in cold water for about 20 minutes, then chop them finely.

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 10 – 15 minutes to rehydrate. After that, remove the mushrooms, squeeze out the water, and chop them finely.

Sautéed mushrooms

You add oil to the pan and sauté chopped shallots until fragrant. Then add wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms to stir-fry together. You season the pan with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper.

You stir-fry evenly until the mushrooms are cooked through, then turn off the heat.

Sautéed pickled mustard greens

You place a pan on the stove, sauté a little cooking oil with chopped shallots until fragrant.

Next, you add 100 grams of pickled mustard greens to the pan, seasoning with 1 tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

You stir evenly until the greens are dry, then turn off the heat.

Cook sticky rice

You place the soaked glutinous rice from the night before into a steamer, using a spoon to spread the rice more towards the sides of the pot and leave a small hollow in the center. Cover and steam on low heat for about 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, you open the lid and add 4 tablespoons of coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the pot, then mix well.

Similarly, you can also spread the sticky rice more towards the sides of the pot and leave a small amount in the center, cover the lid, and steam for another 10 minutes.

Next, after 10 minutes, you add the stir-fried mushrooms into the pot, mix well, and steam for another 5 minutes.

Finished Product

You scoop the sticky rice onto a bowl or plate and add a bit of stir-fried mustard greens with fried onions on top, then enjoy. You will feel the soft and chewy sticky rice combined with the creamy coconut milk, naturally sweet flavors mixed with seasoned stir-fried mushrooms and sweet and sour radish, and you can eat it endlessly without feeling bored.