This lazy Cantonese sticky rice is a much easier version of the traditional bamboo leaf-wrapped rice dumplings. While it is not technically "dumplings", you still have the perfectly flavored sticky rice and savory fillings and it's all cooked in a rice cooker without any leaves needed for wrapping. Without all the hard work and the long cooking time, you can enjoy this any time of the year! It's quicker, easier, and just as delicious!

Rice dumplings or Cantonese joong (zongzi in Mandarin) are traditionally made and eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (usually in late May or June, depending on the Chinese calendar). Read about the history behind the tradition of making the rice dumplings. The process of making traditional rice dumplings is very labour intensive, requires a lot of skill that is usually passed down from generation to generation, and the bamboo leaf-wrapped rice dumplings must be cooked for hours before they can be eaten. There are also several different versions of rice dumplings depending on which region of Asia they are from.

My Cantonese sticky rice recipe is by no means traditional in anyway since I don't use the leaves, it's not actually rice "dumplings", and it's all thrown together in a rice cooker. However, the basic idea of it is inspired by the Toisanese style joong my mum used to make. I have used the same ingredients and tried to achieve similar flavors as hers, all while simplifying the process dramatically.

Ingredients

Two red sausage links, white dishes containing white uncooked rice, yellow split beans, raw pork belly, and two orange egg yolks.

Glutinous rice
Split yellow mung beans
Pork belly
Chinese sausage (lop cheng)
Salted egg yolks

Two round dark dishes containing salt and pepper, and three white round dishes containing liquids.

Xiaoxing Chinese cooking wine
Salt
White pepper
Sugar
Oil

Instructions

Soaking and Marinating

Two write round bowl containing uncooked rice and yellow split beans soaking in water. Two red sausage links soaking in water in a rectangular dish.

Rinse the rice about 3 times to wash away excess starches; repeat with the yellow split mung beans. Each in their own dishes, soak the rice and mung beans in water. Soak the Chinese sausage in 1 ¾ cups of water.

A spoon resting in a square glass dish containing chunks of raw pork.

Remove the skin from the pork belly. Cut the pork belly into small chunks and combine with the marinade ingredients (xiaoxing cooking wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper). Mix well and refrigerate.

Preparing the Ingredients

Pro Tip: Salted duck eggs are often sold coated in a salted charcoal paste. They are usually individually wrapped in plastic and you can find them in an Asian supermarket near the fresh eggs. You might also find packages of salted duck egg yolks already separated.

Running water rinsing off a black paste from an egg being held by a hand.

Rinse the charcoal paste off the duck egg under running water.

Two egg shell halves next to a round white bowl containing a dark orange egg yolk.

Crack the egg into a bowl. Remove the orange salted egg yolk and discard the egg white.

A white round bowl containing uncooked white rice, a white round bowl containing yellow split beans.

Drain the rice and the yellow split mung beans separately. Let them drain completely, for at least 15 minutes.

Two pink sausage links with the casings removed.

Remove the sausages from the water; DO NOT DISCARD THE WATER. Remove the casing from the Chinese sausages.

Chunks of sausages next to a knife on a wooden cutting board.

Cut the sausages into chunks or discs.

Chunks of cut orange egg yolk in a square white dish.

Cut the salted egg yolks into quarters.

Layering the Ingredients

Uncooked white rice and yellow mung beans in a dark rice cooker pot.

Spoon about ⅓ of the rice into the bottom of the rice pot, then add about ½ of the yellow split mung beans.

Pink sausage chunks, pieces of orange egg yolk, and pieces of raw pork in a layer in a rice cooker pot.

Add the Chinese sausage slices, pork, and salted egg, scattering it over the rice and mung beans.

Yellow mung beans sprinkled over Chinese sausage chunks and chunks of raw pork.

Spoon the rest of the mung beans over the meat filling.

White uncooked rice and yellow mung beans in a rice cooker pot.

Add the rest of the rice, spreading it out evenly.

Water being poured into a rice cooker pot containing uncoked rice and yellow mung beans.

Add the reserved liquid (should be 1 ¾ cups worth) from soaking the Chinese sausages to the pot. Use the back of a spoon to even out the rice in the pot.

A dark rice cooker pot containig uncooked white rice, yellow mung beans, and water.

Set your rice cooker to Cook (or to the White Rice setting). Once the cooking cycle is done, open the lid and allow the rice to dry out for about 15 minutes before scooping out.

Cooked white rice and yellow mung beans in a dark rice cooker pot.

Serving Suggestions

Simply dig into the rice in the rice cooker and scoop out a bunch into your bowl and enjoy! It's as simple as that!

A white scooping Cantonese sticky rice in a rice cooker pot.

You can also have some light soy sauce and/or chili oil on the side for dipping small bits of the rice as you eat it. For my siblings and me, the best way was always the purest way...to eat it as it had been made since my mum had (in our minds) perfected the flavors.

A small white dish containing a dark sauce next to a blue round bowl containing sticky rice and chunks of meat and egg yolk.

The sticky rice tastes great hot from the rice cooker, but I love it cold, just like how I used to eat my mum's joong! The cooled sticky rice becomes more sticky and has more of a chew when you eat it.

Variations

A fork dug into a white round bowl containing sticky rice with chunks of red sausage.

As I mentioned, there are different variations to rice dumplings depending on the country/region of Asia. Sometimes my mum made joong with peanuts and dried shrimp. I have seen versions where the rice has been seasoned with soy sauce so that it is brown and there might only be a chunk of pork inside. I have seen other versions with rehydrated dried Chinese mushrooms and dried scallops.

Commonly Asked Questions

How do you store leftovers?

Simply place leftover sticky rice in a food container and keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze portions for up to 6 months.

How do you reheat leftovers?

Leftovers from the fridge can be reheated in the microwave or steamed. Leftovers from the freezer are best defrosted before reheating. You can also enjoy leftovers brought to room temperature or cold from the fridge!

Can you use a regular egg yolk?

I do not recommend using regular fresh egg yolks. They are too soft and runny and are simply not the right type for this recipe.

Lazy Cantonese Sticky Rice (Joong)

Ingredients