Thai Sticky Rice

Thai Sticky Rice Khao Niew
(cow ne-ow), also known as "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice" (although there is no gluten in it), is a staple food within both Northern & North-Eastern(Isaan) Thailand where people eat it instead of long grain rice, traditionally sticky rice is eaten just with your hands, by grabbing clumps from the round rice basket & rolling it between your fingers into ball shapes, before dipping it into the savoury dish or curry that usually accompanies it.

The word Khao means rice & Niew means sticky in the Thai language, sticky rice is always pre-soaked overnight & then steamed, whereas long grain rices are bolied.

When sticky rice is cooked it turns from white to transluscent, whereas long grain rice does the reverse.

The people of northern Thailand use a special bamboo steamer for cooking the sticky rice, both the un-cooked rice & the bamboo steamers are available at Asian Stores, but you don't have to buy the steamer if you won't be eating this delicious rice regularly, all you need is a Western style steamer or a bowl you can set in a larger pot and some cheese-cloth.

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Please click the arrow below to see just how easy this dish is to cook, and then read on a little lower down the page how just by adding a couple of extra ingredients you have the most popular dessert available in Thailand
Sweet Thai Sticky Rice with Mango.

Serves 3-4 Portions:

Ingredients:
2 cups of premium grade glutinous rice & tap water!!.

Method:
place the rice in a bowl large enough to both thoroughly wash it & for it to soak in overnight, to wash the rice add water to cover it, mixing the water with the rice & then rinsing out, repeat this 3-4 times until the water runs clear, removing any small debris that might be floating in the water.

Ensure that the sticky rice stands in sufficient water to cover it and then leave on the side in the kitchen overnight.

Next Morning:
If you are using the traditional Thai bamboo steamer, wash it all out thoroughly place some water in the pan underneath & then pour the rice & water into the bamboo steamer, the water will drain through leaving the rice ready for steaming, place a saucepan lid over the rice so that it nestles in the top of the bamboo steamer.

If you are using Western methods take your steamer, put water in the bottom and cover the steam section with cheese cloth or muslin cloth. Pour the sticky rice on the cheesecloth & cover with the lid.

Now put it on the stove on medium to high heat. The sticky rice should take about a 15-20 minutes of steaming to cook and will become translucent when done.

Tip the cooked rice into a round lidded basket, serve & eat whilst piping hot, personally I can sit & eat just sticky rice on it's own, it has a lovely taste that is highly addictive.

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice
with Mango

Ingredients:
2tablespoons brown sugar (for more natural taste sub with maple syrup).
2pinches of salt.
1tin of good-quality coconut milk.
1-2 ripe fragrant mangos, cut into bite-size pieces - available from Asian stores.

Method:
* Pour the contents of the tin of coconut milk into a saucepan & bring to a simmer over medium heat, constantly stirring.
* Add the sugar & salt.
* Remove from heat. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice.
* Let it sit for 5 minutes. The sticky rice should absorb all the coconut milk.
* The rice should be a little mushy.
* Add the pre-cut slices of mango over the rice.
* Add the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice as you serve.

You can always sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the completed dish for added colour.

Thai sticky rice can be served either hot or cold, either way it is seriously scrumptious!!.

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