Adventures in Extra Super Quality Sanpatong Sweet Rice
While I have been consuming sticky rice for years, I have never tried to make it myself, and it wasn't part of my Italian culinary curriculum. I mean, how hard could it be to cook rice? It looked elementary when my Thai cooking teacher walked me through the Ruamchook market (outside of Chiang Mai), pointed out the baskets of sticky rice, and guided me through cooking process.
Not so much when I walked through the rice aisles at several Asian grocery stores this weekend and I couldn't even identify sticky rice. Turns out, it doesn't say sticky on the packaging. Out of my culinary comfort zone, I had to ask one of the customers to select a package for me. Thus, I learned "extra super quality sanpatong sweet rice" is a synonym for "sticky rice." Totally was not on the lookout for that.
Since I don't have a rice cooker or a bamboo steamer, I did some internet research and tried cooking my "extra super quality sanpatong sweet rice" on the stove top. Let's just say that today I will be purchasing a rice cooker or bamboo steamer to see if it turns out much, much better.
---StellaCadente*
Restaurang on January 21, 2010 at 05:06 AM
wow nice..wonderful blog...like it
JD on January 21, 2010 at 06:55 AM
I also had to learn the hard way that the english labels on glutinous rice often say "sweet rice." The thai word is เหนียว or nieow, look for that on the bag. My wife is Thai, but her Mom always cooked the sticky rice, therefore we had a lot of tribulations the first few times cooking it. Some tips:
1) Soak the rice for several hours, ideally overnight
2)Use a piece of cheesecloth, wrap the rice in it, put in a bamboo steamer, and then cover with a pot lid to keep the top of the rice hot. THis keeps it from adhering to the bamboo
3)To make it more interesting you can also use black sticky rice which turns a beautiful purple after cooking. Mix it at a 1:1 ratio with white sticky rice before cooking.
StellaCadente* on January 21, 2010 at 11:53 AM
Thanks for the tips JD. I *did* soak the rice overnight, but I am wondering if I cooked it with too much water on the stovetop? I ordered a bamboo steamer, so I am looking forward to trying that out. I will follow your directions and let you know how it goes. Korp kun ka!
andy ricker on January 22, 2010 at 02:02 PM
hey, just fyi: San Patong is a district where some of the better quality glutinous rice (aka sticky rice or khao niaw in Thai) is grown. you will notice in your photo that there are dozens of different rices for sale. they are different varieties, different ages, different origins. what we get in the USA is always new crop. new rice is softer than old rice, and hence requires less cooking time. the only way to make sticky rice come out well is to actually steam it rather than boil it. your new set up will do the trick. make sure to use plenty of water, about 2-3 inches in the pot, and to rinse the rice well after soaking it (prior post was correct in soaking time), then letting it drain before cooking it. also, try wrapping the whole amount you are cooking in cheesecloth; it will be easier to handle. the closer you are to the shipment date of the new rice, the less time it will need to steam. try about 17-20 minutes at full tilt steam for a 2 pound batch, turning the rice over once at ten minutes. if it is still uncooked, go another 5 minutes. it should be firm, cooked thru, kernels somewhat seperate but clinging to each other, and not mushy. you can hold it in a small insulated cooler or in a plastic bag wrapped in towels to keep it warm and moist. typically it is eaten at room temperature.
StellaCadente* on January 23, 2010 at 11:51 AM
Thanks so much, Andy! I will repost your instructions on the blog so all the readers can see.
JD on January 25, 2010 at 08:56 AM
Andy is spot on with the comment about new crop rice, it takes much less longer and requires less water to cook (good to note if your not using the steamer). I gave up after my first few tries to actually time how long sticky rice takes to steam, and just check it every few minutes after it's gone 15.
A side note on containers, the mother in law puts it in those bamboo sticky rice containers you can pick up for a dollar or two at the asian grocery. They're fantastic and after awhile the rice picks up a nice bamboo aroma, similiar to khao lam.
Chock dee na kop
StellaCadente* on January 25, 2010 at 10:45 AM
Thanks, JD!
StellaCadente* on January 25, 2010 at 06:40 PM
Andy and JD, I have passed on your tips in a new post: http://www.aldenteblog.com/2010/01/expert-sticky-rice-advice-from-pok-pok-chef-andy-ricker.html
Karla on January 27, 2010 at 07:11 PM
Thai cooking instructor, Kasma Loha-unchit has some detailed advice about how to cook sticky rice if you don't have a sticky rice steamer here on her excellent site: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/stickyr.html
Terriann on January 29, 2010 at 01:09 PM
Hi!
I found your entry about Sticky Rice on Amazon's Kindle blog.
I love sticky rice with Thai curries and spicy beef salads. I've experimented with a number of cooking methods and after years of trial & error have finally come up with the best, easiest method.
I also suggest soaking the rice overnight after rinsing well, in a pinch you can soak the rice for 4-6 hours (I use hot tap water)
I don't care for the woven bamboo steamer/special pot at all, the steamer is hard to clean and they are big, bulky unitaskers that are a pain to store.
2nd best method:
I've used an ordinary screen mesh colander, the kind with feet, with great success. Spray lightly with Pam, spread rice in an even layer over bottom and up sides of the colander, set into a soup pot or Dutch oven deep enough to fully enclose the strainer. Put water in the bottom of the pot- enough to cover the feet of the colander but not enough to touch the rice while cooking. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer. Check to make sure water doesn't boil away, if it gets too low add more hot water from a teapot. Use a fork to check after 15 minutes, when the rice is tender and a little translucent it is done- taste to make sure.
Best method:
Use an ordinary bamboo steamer- the typical 2-level steamer is a multi-tasker and costs only $10-15. They can be used to steam veggies, dumplings, Siu Bao, fish, tamales, flour tortillas, fresh unpeeled prawns, etc. Wet the steamer, line with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit, put the steamer atop a pot of appropriate size, pour rice in (let the soaking water go to the bottom of the pan for cooking) add a few more inches of fresh water, cover with bamboo lid, bring water to boil then turn to a high simmer, cook until done. I recommend keeping the thickness of the rice under 2" otherwise the bottom can get mushy. I don't turn it during cooking at all.
The bamboo gives your rice just a hint of fragrance and flavor. You can line the steamer with lettuce or cabbage leaves instead but they don't work as well as parchment. For years I used cheesecloth sprayed with Pam but the cheesecloth can leave strings in your rice. After cooking let the steamer dry, use a butter knife to flick off rice kernals that stick to the sides. Wash gently with a scrubby sponge and dish soap to remove the rice starch.
To store leftover sticky rice I wrap it in a big piece of Stretch-Tite plastic wrap then store that inside an airtight container. To reheat the rice poke a few holes in the plastic, wrap a couple of damp paper towels around the bundle and microwave in a bowl until hot.
After a few years of regular use the first basket will eventually wear out, but you still have the second basket and lid to use for years to come.
StellaCadente* on January 29, 2010 at 07:27 PM
Thanks so much, Terriann. I got my Thai-style bamboo steamer today...just waiting for my rice to finish soaking. I am excited to try see how the rice comes out, now that I have a plethora of instructions! Like the parchment paper idea. Very smart.
StellaCadente* on January 29, 2010 at 07:35 PM
Karla, was just checking out: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/ingredients/stickyr.html. Thanks. Great resource.
StellaCadente* on January 29, 2010 at 10:03 PM
I just finished my first batch following Andy's method, and I am pretty happy with the results. Only thing, I added the lime paste to the soaking water instead of the rinse water (was experimenting), which tinged the rice yellow. Next time, I will add it to the rinse water. I lined the bamboo with parchment paper, which worked great. The texture of the rice was perfect. I rolled it into little balls. I feel so accomplished. Thanks for your help everyone!
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