Method
- Marinate chicken in 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy, Shaoxing, sugar and white pepper for 20 minutes. The chicken cooks inside the parcel, so the marinade has to do real work.
- Steam the soaked glutinous rice for 25 minutes over high heat. Tip into a bowl. Mix the rice with the remaining oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, sesame oil, ginger and 200ml of mushroom soaking liquid. The grains should turn glossy mahogany.
- Heat a wok with 1 tbsp oil. Stir-fry the dried shrimp and mushroom slices until fragrant — 90 seconds. Add the marinated chicken and lap cheong; stir-fry until the chicken loses pinkness, 3 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Lay a softened lotus leaf flat. Place a quarter of the seasoned rice in the centre. Make a well, fill with a quarter of the chicken-mushroom mixture and a half-yolk of salted duck egg, then top with another spoonful of rice to seal.
- Fold the lotus leaf into a tight rectangular parcel: bring two opposite sides over, then the other two, and tie with kitchen string. Repeat for all four parcels.
- Steam over high heat for 45 minutes — the parcels should be heavy and the leaves should perfume strongly when opened. Untie at the table, pull back the leaf to reveal the dark, glossy rice with chicken, sausage and yolk in the centre.
Common questions
Can Lo Mai Gai be made ahead?
Lo Mai Gai is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 60 minutes.
Is Lo Mai Gai spicy?
Lo Mai Gai as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Lo Mai Gai vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Lo Mai Gai to make at home?
Lo Mai Gai sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 120 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Lo Mai Gai be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Lo mai gai is the classic dim sum cart pull — the trolley auntie wheels by, lifts the lid of the bamboo steamer, and the steam-released lotus perfume hits the diner before the dish does. The lotus leaf is the dish's identifying note: it imparts a green-tea-and-bamboo aroma to the rice that no other wrapper provides. A 'mini' version called jin lo mai gai is wrapped only in the leaf without the rice double-layer; lo mai gai proper has rice both above and below the filling.
