Servings 6
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 large shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, pre-sliced or 10 whole ones
5 links Chinese sausage, sliced
¼ cup Shaoxing wine
2 ½ cups short grain sticky rice (glutinous rice)
1 ½  cups water
2 teaspoon Better than Bouillon vegetable gel
1 cup mushroom soaking liquid
1 can whole water chestnuts, drained and sliced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
scallions, sliced, garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour hot water into a bowl of dried shiitake mushrooms and soak for 15 minutes, until softened.
2. Meanwhile prep the ingredients: shallots, garlic, sausage, water chestnut
3. Turn on the “Saute” function of the instant pot, add the oil, immediately at the shallots and garlic.
4. Drain the mushrooms, save 1 cup of the liquid.
5. When the oil starts to sizzle, add the shiitake mushrooms and stir to coat the mushroom with oil. Spread in an even layer. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the Chinese sausage and cook until the edges turn light golden, about 5-10 minutes.
7. Then pour in the Shaoxing wine. Use your wooden spatula to deglaze the bottom of the pot so that the Instant pot doesn’t give you a “Food Burn” error. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
8. Turn off the Instant Pot.
9. Add the rice, water, mushroom soaking liquid, vegetable gel, water chestnut, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and salt.
10. Stir to mix well.
11. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 12 minutes.
12. Once the instant pot is done cooking, allow to slow release for at least 5 minutes before using fast release.
13. Fluff the rice and garnish with scallions.
14. Serve as a main or side dish.
15. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes: If you use fresh shiitake mushrooms, add additional water to replace the mushroom soaking liquid. Purchase pre-sliced dried shiitake mushrooms for ease. If you do get the Food Burn error, allow it to sit for 10 minutes, as the rice will still continue to cook. Long grain sticky rice may have a different cooking time.

Adapted from www.omnivorescookbook.com recipe for instant pot Chinese sausage rice. I swapped out the butter because the sausage is fatty enough and added the whole can of water chestnuts because I have no use for the rest of it and it works just fine.