Pandan Sweet Sticky Rice (Khao Neow Moon Bai Toey)
Thai sweet sticky rice infused with fragrant pandan, drizzled with salted coconut cream.
Ingredients
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 ml | dry Thai sweet rice |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 ml | water (for the rice) |
| 4 | pandan leaves, roughly chopped | |
| 2 cups | 480 ml | coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk (topping) |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water to form a slurry |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | kosher salt (topping) |
| 3/4 cup | 180 ml | white sugar (topping) |
| 3/4 cup | 180 ml | full-fat coconut milk (syrup) |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | white sugar (syrup) |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | kosher salt (syrup) |
| 3 | pandan leaves, cut into 1-inch pieces (syrup) |
Instructions
- To make the pandan sticky rice, rinse the rice well with two to three changes of water to remove some of the starch, then place it in a large bowl. Place the water and pandan leaves in a blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds until pureed and very green. Strain the blended green pandan liquid into the bowl with the rice, then add enough water to cover the rice by 3 inches. Soak for 3 to 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator; the rice will absorb the color and aroma of the pandan.
- When ready to cook, strain the rice well and allow the water to drain for about 1 minute. Cook in a bamboo sticky rice steamer, or place it in cheesecloth over a steamer insert pot. Cover and steam for 30 minutes on full steam until the rice is cooked through but still holds its long-grain shape.
- While the rice steams, make the salted coconut cream topping: whisk all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan until the cornstarch slurry is worked in and no clumps remain. Place over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes until it starts simmering. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cool and set aside.
- For the coconut syrup, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt and cut pandan leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until it reaches a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave in the pot (you will warm it again).
- When the rice is cooked, transfer the hot rice to a large bowl. If the coconut syrup has cooled, heat it to 130F (54C). It is important that the rice and syrup are hot so the syrup can penetrate the rice. Pour the hot syrup over the hot rice. Fold a few times to break up the grains and let the syrup coat the rice. Cover the bowl and let rest about 10 minutes.
- Remove the cover and fold again about eight times, then cut some channels through the rice to let the syrup soak in. Cover again and rest at least 15 minutes. Hold at room temperature if using within a few hours, otherwise refrigerate (microwave 2 minutes, stir, then 2 more minutes to reheat).
- To serve, put a portion of the warm or room-temperature rice in a bowl and drizzle with the salted coconut cream topping.