Sticky Rice(Khao Niew)
My grandmother never called this a recipe. She packed it in banana leaf the night before, the way she packed everything she intended to keep. It was just what you brought on the train. Just what was there when you were hungry and the countryside was passing and there was nowhere else to be. This sticky rice recipe is as close as I can get to what she made, the soak, the steam, the flip halfway through. I have not changed a single thing that matters.
Equipment
- A large bowl for soaking the rice
- A colander or fine mesh sieve
- A steamer or a rice cooker with a steaming basket
- A pot or a rice cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups Thai sticky rice also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice
- Water for soaking
- 2 1/2 cups water for steaming
Instructions
Soak the Rice:
- Rinse the sticky rice under cold water 2to 3 times to remove excess starch until the water runs relatively clear.
- Soak the rice in a large bowl filled with enough water to cover it by at least 3 inches. Let it soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results. This soaking process is crucial for achieving the right texture.
Prepare the Steamer:
- Fill the bottom of a steamer or a pot with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil. If you are using a steamer, line the steamer basket with cheesecloth or a clean, thin kitchen towel to prevent the rice from sticking or falling through.
Drain the Rice:
- After soaking, drain the rice thoroughly using a colander or a fine-mesh sieve.
Steam the Rice:
- Transfer the soaked and drained rice into the lined steamer basket. Spread it evenly to allow the steam to cook the rice uniformly.
- Place the basket over the boiling water, cover, and steam for about 15-20 minutes. Then, stir or flip the rice to ensure even cooking. Cover and steam for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and sticky.
Rest the Rice:
- Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it sit covered for about 10 minutes. This allows the grains to set and become perfectly sticky.
Serve:
- Use it to scoop up whatever is beside it, grilled meats, som tum, larb.
Notes
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak it. Those are two different steps doing two different jobs. The rinse takes off the loose surface starch, the kind that makes the finished rice heavy and dull instead of glossy and distinct. The soak puts water back inside, deep into the center of each grain, where the steam cannot reach on its own. Skip the rinse and the rice turns gummy. Skip the soak and the center stays hard. Do both and the rest is just heat and time.
The soak cannot be rushed. Four hours is the floor and overnight is always better. Pull the rice out of the water, hold a grain up to the light, it should be completely opaque and slightly swollen. If it still has a translucent center, it needs more time. Not more steaming. More soaking.
Flip the rice halfway through steaming. This sounds like a small thing. It is not. The grains on the bottom get more direct heat. If you do not flip, the bottom half overcooks while the top half is still catching up. Fifteen minutes, flip, fifteen minutes more. Then rest it covered for ten minutes off the heat. The resting is when the grains finish setting. Do not skip it.
Leftover sticky rice keeps at room temperature in a covered container for up to one day. To reheat, wrap a portion in damp paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. The second day is when you know how well you made it the first.
Nutrition
Serving: 8oz
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!