How to Cook Sticky Rice the Easy Way and without a Steamer
>> Monday, September 27, 2010
Sometimes, I feel like all the brilliant friends I am fortunate to have, but perhaps don't deserve, should be the ones writing this blog. My friend B very recently allowed me to share her Khao Na Gai recipe with you. Then a few weeks ago, my friend L showed me the only way he had been making perfect Thai sticky rice for the past several months. It's done without a steamer.
I've tried this method many times since then, mostly just to prove him a misguided heretic. But in the end, I, too, have willingly joined the cult of splatter guard. And the post I had written and kept in the draft folder on 5 ways to perfectly steam sticky rice has suddenly been rendered obsolete.
Traditionally, sticky rice is steamed in a cone-shaped woven bamboo basket, which is used together with a funny-looking aluminum pot, or an aluminum (sometimes stainless steel) multi-tiered/stackable steamer. (Kasma Loha-unchit has fully explained how to use both gadgets to prepare sticky rice here.) Both methods work very well and have been used by the Thai people for ages. The equipments themselves are also inexpensive and not that hard to find.
However, the problem which some of us have with these traditional steamers is the lack of storage space. The bamboo basket-"spittoon" combo takes up quite a bit of cupboard or pantry space. While this is not necessarily a deal breaker, a uni-tasker that size can elicit resentment. Besides, in order to clean the bamboo basket, you need to soak it for hours to loosen up the sticky rice that has penetrated its every crevice. Then some scrubbing is still needed, followed by thorough drying of the basket on the dish rack to prevent molding since wiping it dry prior to storage just won't do.
The multi-tiered steamer, on the other hand, is not a uni-tasker. But it sure takes up a lot of storage space. To make sticky rice, it also requires either a heat-proof dish or a piece of cheesecloth with which to line the bottom of the steamer. Have you tried to get every single sticky rice kernel off a delicate piece of cheesecloth? My. Goodness.
Sometimes, when I want to make just a cup of sticky rice for myself, the idea of dragging these two equipments out of the cupboard, putting them together, cleaning them, drying them, and putting them back in the cupboard is enough to make me go, "Ugh." It's like, as the Thai idiom goes, "riding on an elephant just to catch a grasshopper" (ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน).
Ditto with an electric steamer which had been my go-to method of steaming until now. Cleaning all the parts is a pain. But I have no choice. Steaming sticky rice in the microwave is unreliable due to varying wattages, and the method that one person swears by is often frustratingly useless to another.
The collapsible steaming basket may not be taking up much space, but its pitifully short legs result in the rice being much too close to the boiling water causing the bottom parts to turn mushy. Also, since the water level can't be higher than the space between the bottom of the basket and the bottom of the pot, the water often evaporates too soon and needs to be replenished and brought back to a boil periodically, especially if you cook a large amount of rice. That is a pain. Besides, that pole in the middle is just ... awkward.
Enters the handsome, sleek uni-tasker-turned-multi-tasker: the splatter guard. Chances are you already have one tucked away somewhere in your pantry. But if you don't, its relatively low prices may convince you to get one. Though wide, a splatter guard is wafer-thin and can wedge itself very easily between the cookie sheets in your cupboard. The pot-splatter guard ensemble is also quick and easy to put together and take apart.
And here's the thing: it works so beautifully. At first, when L explained to me this unusual method, I kept thinking he was talking about a cheapo, MacGyver-ed "steamer" which under-equipped cooks resort to in the absence of a proper steamer. But L went on to rhapsodize the perfectly-cooked sticky rice he'd been getting from this steaming method. He cooks his sticky rice this way not because he doesn't have a steamer; he cooks the rice this way because it yields better results. L had me convinced. And look what I'm writing now.
Not only is the fine mesh perfect for regulating steam from below and eliminating hot spots (or wet spots), it is also ridiculously easy to clean. Sticky rice does not stick to the mesh screen at all. The rice is cooked evenly; the grains remain whole and never turn mushy; all grains cook at the same rate.
Why, oh, why did I not know about this sooner?
its dome shape seems to create an environment wherein sticky rice cooks more perfectly.
A tagine phenomenon going on here?
To make a perfect batch of steamed sticky rice:
This method works well with other easy steaming jobs. I've made beautiful Thai curried fish custard in banana leaf cups and many other things this way. You can also use a splatter screen to sift flour or play indoor badminton with, swat a fly in the kitchen, and, of course, as a splatter guard.
41 comments:
I kind of resent our rice "spittoon". Really, in the two years I've been with my boyfriend (he's Thai), we have used it exactly once. ONCE! So it takes up a ton of space, we never use it, and our friends constantly try to wear the basket as a hat.
I can't wait to give this method a try. I know there's no getting rid of the unitasker, but at least I won't have to dig it out of storage if I want sticky rice.
My mom taught me how to cook sticky rice in a microwave, after soaking the rice, you place it in a microwave safe bowl, add enough water to make it level with the rice. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave in increments depending on how much rice you use. Stir in between microwave increments, microwave until you get the right consistency. And there's not much to clean up either :)
You can also use this method with slight alterations to make sweet sticky rice (ka niew moon).
I also have the bamboo steamer and the big multi-tiered steamer because my mom makes Thai desserts, but whenever we make sticky rice it's always the microwave way.
Interesting technique, Leela. For me, I always use the rice cooker. The new version can cook sticky rice very well. I don't have to soak the rice before cooking.
Wow...this is such a smart way. I have to try this. I usually cook in the rice cooker. I need to go and get a splatter screen asap :D
Nice tip!
Great tip! I am due for a new basket and have been debating replacing it, but now I might not have to!
An inverted stainless steel bowl would probably work really well for a lid, since most pot lids are not very deep.
Lydia - Yes! An inverted steel bowl would work very nicely. Thanks. :)
Hi Leela, may i check ~ is this with normal rice or glutinous rice? Thanks!
:RY: - This is glutinous rice. :)
Space isn't the main issue for me. It's cleaning. We eat sticky rice fairly often, but I've made it Hubby's task to clean it. He gets annoyed with me when I don't soak the basket immediately after removing the rice.
I'm interested to hear more about Thip's method of cooking it in a rice pot.
Wow...Another use for a splatter guard! I'll have to remember this trick.
I use 2 splatter guards onto top of each other to strain my soymilk, because it creates a quick filter that's easy to clean.
What a great idea - I can't wait to try it. I generally find my splatter guard pretty useless, and it's relegated to the back of the cupboard, but as it takes up so little space (particularly compared to a dedicated rice-cooker!) I'll happily keep it if this works, fab!
What a fantastic use of the spatter guard. And now I'm kinda glad I didn't drag one of those bamboo steamers home all the way from Thailand...
sorry for being so dense, but for say one cup of rice 20 minutes??
also is jasmine glutinious?
thanks
hugh - No apology necessary. No, jasmine is not the same as sticky/glutinous rice (this post may help). This method works only with sticky rice, but not regular long grain rice.
You could cook long grain rice using this method, but 1. only in a small amount (no more than 3/4 cup raw), 2. in a heatproof container, and 3. with added water (1.5 times the amount of rice). I've never cooked jasmine rice this way as I have a rice cooker. But jasmine rice was steamed in a big steamer that way in many restaurants in Thailand 3-4 decades ago when commercial-sized electric rice cookers weren't so widely available. So based on this, I'd think this method works, though I have never tried.
I really appreciated the input. I am considering buying a splatter guard and now that I see that it has multiple uses, I just might consider buying one.
Besides making rice, covering frying, and using it as a sifter are there any other suggestions for this tool.
Anon - Besides ride, can use it to steam other things as well: broccoli, steamed cupcakes, asparagus, etc. A friend of mine has one with stainless steel handle and she has used it to line a cookie sheet with when she runs out of parchment paper. The fine mesh is naturally nonstick and works almost like a Silpat, so anything chunky, like cookies or bread, that doesn't fall through the holes, can be baked on it and will slide right off of the mesh once cooked. Mine, as seen in the pictures, is a cheapo one that comes with a plastic handle, so it won't work in the oven.
Long ago I used to have friends who made Sticky rice. Remembering it fondly, I have been attempting to prepare my own with limited success.
So when searching the web, I found this article and I had to try it. However, on my first attempt, my rice turned out very sticky. Yes, it would stick in a clump but even more it would stick to my hands!
I will keep experimenting (different rice, different quantity, cooking time, etc.) but is there a most likely reason for the cause of this?
Douglas - Another reader just wrote me about his experience which is the exact opposite of yours, and that is his rice took a long time to cook and wouldn't stick together.
I'm quite positive that his rice is an old crop (lower moisture due to longer storage) and yours is a new crop (higher moisture). When you deal with different brads and different crops like this, it's hard to specify the exact soaking and cooking time. Usually, the first batch is unlikely to turn out exactly as you want it.
If your rice sticks to your hands because they're too soft and wet, you're indeed dealing with a new crop. In this case, reduce the soaking time by half and cook it just until there are no hard bits left in the rice kernels.
But if your rice is fully cooked and not too wet or soft (i.e. the kernels hold their shape), yet sticks to your hands, er, excessively (?), then it's possible that it's an old crop. In this case, either the rice is not cooked long enough or the splatter guard is too high above the water. Some people even say you have to soak old crops overnight for best results. (!!!) I've never soaked my rice, regardless of the moisture content, longer than 5-6 hours. But your mileage may vary.
Will you try again, come back, and let me know how it goes? Please? Thanks. :)
Leela - thank you for your response, so informative.
When I was growing up in Minnesota, Asian food meant Chow Mein in a can and rice meant Minute Rice, with a bit of butter added so it wouldn't stick together. It used to amaze me to think how dexterous Asians must have to be in order to eat a complete meal with chopsticks, one slippery rice kernel at a time.
Fortunately I have become wiser as I aged. I still remember the seminal moment, seeing people eat at a restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco. Suddenly, I understood... clumpy rice, little rice bowls to carry the food closer, using chopsticks like a fork instead of a pincer. To my amusement, I even felt some outrage. After my many abortive chopstick attempts, it seemed like cheating!
However, the crop concept is a new aspect for me. I have always considered rice to be a fairly ageless commodity, not a crop, like fruit or potatoes, where freshness and storage noticeably affect taste and cooking. I will definitely try again. But first I think I will buy new rice.
So how can I tell if I am purchasing "new crop" or "old crop"? (and how old is rice before it becomes old crop?) I have your rice label picture in my billfold so I can be sure to find "the right stuff". But here in Minnesota we're at the far, far end of the supply chain for Asian produce so there is no telling how long something has been in the warehouse.
Success - I bought some new crop rice, soaked less, cooked less and it worked! Thank you!
Douglas - As opposed to jasmine rice which almost always has crop information on the bag, glutinous/sticky rice packages infrequently do. It doesn't matter, though. With each new bag, all it takes to figure out the moisture content is a small, sacrificial batch. Once you have a rough idea of what you're dealing with, it's easy. Then it's just a matter of remembering that the longer that bag of rice sits in your pantry, the longer it needs to soak.
This is revolutionary. I avoid sticky rice (making it) like the plague for all of the reasons you mentioned, despite loving it. My splatter guard is silicone with bigger holes, so I am guessing I need a mesh one, but as you say, no biggie space-wise. Thanks!
What a great idea! As an American who's been living in Bangkok for the last 3 1/2 yrs I eat Khao Niao (sometimes spelled Khao Neow) almost daily. Although buying a single serving from a street vendor is only 5 Baht, (about 2 cents) I cook it at home all the time. I was lucky enough to have learned how to cook it from Som, who hails from Isan where Khao Niao is a staple. The only problem is that quite a number of the grains fall through the holes of the aluminum steamer and wasting even a single grain of food isn't the way my mother raised me. So behond the ease of cleanup, this method will prove to end waste which is the reason i will change my Khao Niao cooking modus operandi.
As to the 'stick to your fingers problem', a great trick that my Northeastern Thai friend Som also taught me is to rub your scalp, [assuming one still has hair!] for a few seconds as the oil from ones hair will coat your fingertips and that prevents the rice from sticking. May look a tad weird, but it truly works!
You rock! This is exactly the cooking tip I needed for my Khao Nieow Ma-muang success. Kop khun maak kha!
Tried this tonight! It was awesome and SO EASY!!
OneWildMango - Thanks for the report!
what would be the difference between thai sticky rice cooked with the splatter guard vs. in my rice cooker? would i need to presoak the rice prior to cooking in the rice cooker as well? do they come out tasting differently?
Sticky rice is supposed to be steamed dry, i.e. unlike jasmine or other long grain rice which is cooked along with the liquid, sticky rice should only be cooked by the vapor from boiling water. So to steam sticky rice in a rice cooker, you can't use the same method you use when cooking other types of rice (add water to the rice, push the button, and wait for it to go 'ding'). That will result in wet, gooey, and pasty sticky rice.
For best result, you need to use the steamer insert that hopefully comes with your rice cooker.
And, yes, you also have to soak the sticky rice beforehand.
This worked out fabulously for me! I don't cook sticky rice very often and so this was the first time it turned out perfectly. My rice was very old (more than a year old) so I soaked it for about 24 hours. For 2.25 cups of glutinous rice, it took about 40 minutes to steam over a large sauté pan with 3" high sides (I used about 1/2" of water). And clean up really was so easy. Thank you!!
You're my hero! I love sticky rice, but my kitchen is just too small to store a steaming basket and pot. My mother-in-law makes perfect sticky rice in her rice cooker, but I haven't learned how yet (she's Thai, born and raised. apparently I lack the necessary genes to get it right). I've steamed custard balls & veggies with this method, but it didn't occur to me try rice. Thank you!! ~Sarah
if you only have jasmine rice and no splatter guard, will this recipe also work in a microwave? if so, how? We are making about 4-5 cooked servings
Anon - Jasmine rice and sticky/glutinous rice (which is what this recipe/method is for) are totally different types of rice. Jasmine needs to be cooked in water. This method won't work with jasmine.
I have been using my own method similar to your very own splatter guard steamer!! It goes like this ...
-Use a metal, fine mesh colander that fits over a pot of boiling water. Colander bottom should be above water line by 2-3 inches.
-Place a lid (belonging to the same pot)to cover rice completely
-Cook normally. No cheesecloth required because you can pick up the colander handles and give it a good toss, shake, shimmy ... for even cooking.
It essentially looks like the traditional bamboo basket over vase-looking pot, only modernized. Easy to clean and a bit more sanitary than the oil splatter guard.
I'm Vietnamese and I like to make savory rice. I toss in scallion oil, along with other condiments into the rice while it's still in the mesh colander which makes the effort such a breeze. Hope this helps ^_^ !!
i tried it and must say the results are brilliant.. thanks so much.. i love your site
Does it work with silicon splatter guard? I have read some reviews that stainless steel splatter guard is not that reliable.
Genevieve - I have no idea. I don't have a silicone splatter guard and nobody has reported back here yet whether that works. Would you like to volunteer? :) People who follow this post will find your report very helpful. Thanks.
Haven't tried this yet, but looks really interesting. I have the spitoon/basket that I use in my Denver house, but my apartment in Bangkok is tiny and my kitchen pretty basic.
A helpful hint if you're steaming sticky rice, regardless of method...for larger batches, instead of a simple mound of rice, stick you finger into the mound of raw, soaked rice and create a doughnut hole of sorts. the steam can penetrate from the center also, helping ensure there's no undercooked grains in the middle. Works great in my basket & should really work well on the spatter guard.
Mike - I never knew that. Thank you for such a great tip!
Oh, thank you for this. I'm also glad I stumbled across this blog (through a google search about cooking sticky rice!)
I took a cooking course in Chiang Mai a couple of weeks ago (I live in Italy though) and have been wondering how on earth I'd get the sticky rice down. I'm trying tonight! Some warm Thai food to combat the cold winter. :-)
Tina
http://tinatangos.wordpress.com
Cool, thanks for the idea!
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