Zhu Tong Fan (taiwanese Bamboo Rice)

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 cups glutinous rice
• 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 1/2 lb ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3 shallots, chopped
• sweet chili sauce (garnish)
• cilantro leaf, chopped (garnish)

Recipe

• 1 wash the rice thoroughly and drain. set aside.
• 2 in a small bowl, place the dried mushrooms and shrimp. pour boiling hot water over the items until covered. allow to sit for 10 minutes, drain and then chop into fine pieces.
• 3 preheat oven to 500 degrees f.
• 4 in a hot wok or hot frying pan, stir-fry the lamb in the vegetable oil until brown and fully cooked (5-10 minutes). drain excess oil then add the chopped mushrooms, shrimp, soy sauce and shallots.
• 5 mix well and then divide the mixture between 8 large greased ramekins or pudding bowls. press down on mixture in each bowl with a spoon.
• 6 add rice to greased ramekins until each one is 2/3 full. use the spoon to press mixture down firmly. keep adding rice until mixture is at the 2/3 full level.
• 7 add enough boiling water to each ramekin until level of water is 1/2 inch above level of the rice.
• 8 place the ramekins in a baking pan with sides and fill baking pan with boiling water to about 2 inches. cover loosely with aluminum foil and place into preheated oven.
• 9 cook for 30-40 minutes. turn off oven and allow baking pan to sit in oven for an additional 10 minutes.
• 10 remove foil and carefully plate each ramekin by turning the rice out onto a plate or you could just serve the ramekin on a plate. top with a little sweet chili sauce and some cilantro leaves.