Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai)

By
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Updated on 02/7/22
Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai)

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 80 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
8g Fat
11g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 444mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 155mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Lo Mai Gai (lotus leaf wraps) is a popular dim sum dish that is made by steaming lotus leaves filled with sticky rice, Chinese sausages, and other vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 4 lotus leaves, halved

  • 1 1/4 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice)

  • 4 dried Chinese black mushrooms

  • 6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine

  • 1 tablespoon light soy  sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tablespoon water)

  • Vegetable oil, as needed

  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

  • Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai) ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. One hour ahead of time, prepare the rice and lotus leaves. Soak the lotus leaves in hot water for 1 hour.

    Soak the lotus leaves in hot water

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Cover the rice with water and let soak for 1 hour.

    Cover the rice with water in a bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. After 1 hour, pat the lotus leaves dry and drain the rice.

    pat the lotus leaves dry

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Next, steam the rice. Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper or cabbage leaf. Fill a wok approximately to the halfway point with water so that the steamer will be sitting above the water without touching. Bring the water to a boil cover the rice and steam for about 20 minutes. Remove the rice, cover and keep warm while preparing the remainder of the ingredients.

    steam the rice in a steamer

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

    Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms, remove the stems and finely chop.

    Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms and chop

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  8. Cut the chicken into small cubes about the size of a postage stamp.

    Cut the chicken into small cubes

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  9. Add the salt, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to a bowl, mix. Add chicken pieces and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

    chicken and marinade in a bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  10. Finely slice the sausages. Peel and chop the garlic.

    Finely slice the sausages and garlic

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  11. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, light soy, and dark soy sauce. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and whisk into the sauce.

    In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, light soy, and dark soy sauce with a cornstarch mixture

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  12. Heat a wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken cubes. Stir-fry until they turn white and are 80 percent cooked through.

    chicken cooking in a wok

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  13. Add the sausages and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for a minute. Give the sauce mixture a quick re-stir then add in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Season with pepper to taste. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes to mix everything together and heat through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Cool.

    chicken, sausage, sauce and mushrooms cooking in a wok

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  14. To make the wraps, separate the rice and the filling into 8 equal sections, 1 section for each wrap. Lay a lotus leaf in front of you. Place a portion of the rice mixture into the center of a lotus leaf. Add the meat and vegetable mixture over top, shaping the rice with your hands so that it forms a ring around the filling. Add more rice to cover.

    rice and chicken mixture on a lotus leaf

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  15. Form a square parcel with the lotus leaf and tie it up with twine. Repeat with the remaining lotus leaves.

    Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai) tied with twine

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  16. Steam the lotus leaf parcels, covered, on a heatproof plate placed in a bamboo steamer in the wok for 15 minutes, or until they are done.

    Lotus Leaf Wraps (Lo Mai Gai) in a steamer

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

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