Sticky Rice Better Than in Your Favorite Thai Restaurants

What is sticky rice? It is traditional Asian rice, which becomes sticky when you cook it. This type is a bit thicker, milky-looking grain, much more glutinous than typical white or Jasmine grain.

Sticky rice originates from Thailand and is the main filler of various meals. It is also eaten as a side dish along with something salty. Also, this grain is an essential ingredient in lots of Thai desserts.

 What To Buy?

To prepare a chewy-textured and delicious meal, you need the best rice for sticky rice. So, what to buy? Go to a local Asian store and get a bag labeled “Glutenous Rice” or “Sweet Rice.” If you weren’t lucky enough to find this type, take regular short-grain white rice. Of course, you won’t get that restaurant-like result, but it still will do the job.

The Best Ways To Cook Sticky Rice

There are lots of ways to prepare this meal. Here we’ll list only the best ones so that you can prepare delicious viand at the comfort of your home. No takeaway menus anymore!

Rice cooker. Using a cooker is the most effortless and the least time-consuming method to prepare sticky rice.

What do you need?

2 cups of grain

2 and a half cups of water

Salt – half of a teaspoon

Put water and grain into a cooker. Let the rice soak from 30 min to 5 hours; the longer it’ll soak, the better the texture you’ll get at the result. Add salt, turn your device on, cooking time takes 15-20 minutes. Do not serve it right away; let it stand for 5 minutes.

Traditional method. How to make rice without a rice cooker? Easily! By the way, if you cook grain with this method, you’ll get perfect, authentic sticky rice. To speak the truth, we are fans of this recipe.

 What do you need?

A cinched-neck aluminum pot and a bamboo basket (traditional Thai set for cooking this viand), or regular steamer basket inserted into a large pot/wok.

• Rice
• Water
• Some salt

1. Soak grain from 6 to 24 hours. Again, the more, the better – if you want soft and chewy texture.

2. Drain the soaked grain and put it into the pre-heat steamer basket.

3. Boil 2-3 inches of water in a pot and put the steamer basket over it. Grain mustn’t dip down into the water. Cover the pot with a lid and steam for 15 minutes.

4. Stir the rice thoroughly and leave it for another 5 minutes.

Fried sticky rice. It is a classic dim-sum in Oriental restaurants. The traditional method of cooking grain from raw to done is really time-consuming and challenging. Some Chinese chefs refuse to prepare it because it’s a too labor-demanding process.

However, there is a simple fried sticky rice recipe! Actually, it is a cheating way, but the result is excellent, very close to an authentic fried sticky rice.

Cook grain using one of the mentioned above methods, transfer the rice to a frying pan. Stir it with other ingredients – you can add Chinese sausage, shrimps, shiitakes, etc.

Use a non-stick frying pan so that the food doesn’t stick to the pan bottom, or you’ll have to add much oil.

What can you eat with sticky rice? Try to prepare stir-fry veggies, orange sesame chicken thighs, meatballs, Tikka Masala chicken, cashew chicken, curry, etc.

 Prepare Sweet Sticky Rice

Use any method of cooking sticky rice listed above, then cool it down. To make your dish sweet, you’ll need to make coconut sauce.

What do you need?

• A can of coconut milk
• Sugar – half of the cap
• Pinch of salt

Mix the ingredients and pour them into a saucepan, boil this blend. Add this sweet sauce to cooled rice, stir it well. Your sweet viand is ready! Serve it with fruit slices.

 Store It Right

Of course, it’s better not to store it at all and eat your meal the same day. However, if you find some extra, put it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for no longer than a day or two. You should know that the rice will become stickier, so don’t store it for too long; it’s better to cook a new batch.

You can also freeze this dish. Put it into a plastic bag, remove excess air, and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Now when you know what kind of rice is sticky rice and how to cook it right, why not try to prepare this meal at home? We believe you’ll manage it as good as a Thai chef!

Autor’s Bio: R. Hudson has been working as a chef for 10 years. She likes traveling and learning different ethnic food traditions. Hudson likes Oriental cuisine the most; she often cooks Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes for her family. Blessed are they!