Thai Sticky Rice (Khao Neow)
Most "sticky" rice is short grain, like the kind you eat in sushi. And fragrant rice is usually long grain, like jasmine or basmati. Thai sticky rice is uniquely fragrant, sticky and long grain. It is grown only in the region between Thailand and Vietnam. And it's one of the few rice varieties that you actually steam. It soaks up much of its water during the soaking process. Although we call most rice "steamed rice," it's almost all boiled. A Thai sticky rice steamer is the best tool for cooking sticky rice, and they are cheap to buy.
Ingredients
| 2 cups | 480 ml | dry Thai sweet rice |
| 6 cups | 1.4 l | water, at room temperature |
Instructions
- Add the sticky rice to a medium bowl and cover with the water. Soak the rice for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- A Thai bamboo sticky rice steamer is two pieces: an aluminum pot and a bamboo basket. Add 4 cups (960 ml) of water to the pot and place it over high heat.
- When ready to cook, drain the rice and transfer it to the bamboo basket of the pot. Give the basket a strong downward tap to seat it well against the bottom of the pot.
- Cover with a medium pot lid. Steam for 10 minutes, or until the rice starts to become sticky, then give the rice a flip. To flip, grip the basket by the sides, then jerk it up and slightly forward like you are flipping a pancake.
- Let the rice ball steam for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is soft and yields to the touch. Be careful not to get burned by the steam as you're lifting the lid off the basket. Remove from the heat, rest for 10 minutes covered and serve warm.