Sticky rice is served along with many Thai style vegetable and meat dishes. A small ball of sticky rice is picked up with the fingers, then the ball of rice is dipped into any sauces that are being served along with the meal. The sticky rice will soak up the sauce like a sponge.
Sweet Sticky Rice
Sticky rice is a glutinous type of sweet rice, not to be confused with regular types of rice, such as Jasmine white rice. Black sticky rice, which is really a dark purple color, is also available. Black sticky rice is mainly used to make a variety of Thai desserts, which are often served with sweetened coconut milk. Both white and black sticky rice can be found at specialty food import stores such as Importfood.com.
Thai Sticky Rice Ingredients and Utensils
- 2 cups Thai glutinous rice
- Water
- Wok
- Bamboo steamer
- Kitchen towel
- Colander
Thai Sticky Rice Directions
- Place the rice in a large colander and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Place the rinsed rice in a large bowl and fill the bowl with water so that the water is approximately 2 inches above the level of the rice.
- Soak the rice in the water for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Drain the rice in a large colander.
- Place a few inches of water in the bottom of a wok.
- Place a bamboo steamer in the wok.
- Place a dampened kitchen towel in the bottom of the bamboo steamer.
- Place the soaked and drained rice on top of the kitchen towel.
- Fold the sides of the kitchen towel over the top of the rice.
- Place the steamer basket lid on top of the steamer basket.
- Bring the water in the wok to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Let the rice steam for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and glistening.
- Check the water level occasionally, while the rice is steaming, and add more water to the bottom of the wok if necessary.
- Remove the cooked rice from the steamer basket, and turn the rice out onto a large platter.
- Sticky rice needs to be cooled quickly to prevent it from becoming soggy.
Recipe Tips and Suggestions
- A double layer of cheesecloth can be used in place of the kitchen dish towel.
- Left over sticky rice can be stored in the refrigerator, for a few days, in an airtight container. Reheat the leftover sticky rice in the microwave, for a minute or two, before eating.
- Serve sticky rice along with coconut milk, which has been sweetened with a bit of palm sugar or light brown sugar, for a classic Thai dessert.
Additional Thai and Asian Style Recipes
The Thai style meatballs with spicy peanut sauce recipe can be made with either ground beef, pork or turkey. See the Asian-Style Spring Roll recipe for restaurant quality egg rolls that can be made at home. Serve cool and crisp Asian-Style Vegetable Salad with ginger teriyaki dressing along with the Thai-style meatballs.
Lynn Smythe - ABOUT THE WRITER Born and raised in Rochester, New York, freelance writer Lynn Smythe obtained her bachelor's degree in Geology from ...
