ข้าวเหนียว (Khao Neow)
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First published on February 17, 2015
Recipe by W. Tipsuwan
In Thailand, glutinous rice, known as khao neow (ข้าวเหนียว) is often eaten by people in northeastern Thailand as a staple food. In most other areas of the country people prefer steamed long-grain white rice. However, sticky rice can be found everywhere as a specialty food, and it is an important ingredient in many of our famous desserts, including mango with sweet coconut sticky rice. This recipe shows you that making sticky rice at home is quite easy, using the pots and utensils that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Select a quality glutinous rice. Rinse it thoroughly.
Place the rice in a large bowl or pot and cover with about 2 times as much water as rice. Soak the rice for at least 4 hours, or over night.
After soaking, drain and rinse the rice again.
Put the rice in a cheesecloth bag, and place the bag in your vegetable steamer. Be sure that the water level is not so high that it touches the rice when boiling.
Put the lid on your pot and steam for at least 45 minutes, checking the water every so often so the pot doesn't dry out. Add more water if needed, but do not pour the water on the bag of rice. Turn the bag over a few times while cooking so the steam gets to all of the rice and it cooks evenly.
After 45 minutes, open the bag and check the rice. It should be translucent and sticky, without any dry areas. Stir the rice with a spoon and check it well. If you see any rice that isn't cooked, adjust the bag and continue cooking. If you see it is done, then turn off the heat and leave the bag to cool in the pot with the lid off.
After cooling, the rice will be soft, chewy, and sticky. To keep it that way you should keep it covered with a damp cloth at room temperature. Sticky rice will get very hard if you put it in the refrigerator, so don't. Traditionally it is stored in a small basket and eaten the same day.