Savory Thai Sticky Rice Food

THAI STICKY RICE (KHAO NIAO) RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove from heat, and flip bundle over once more so that the folded over parts of cheesecloth are facing you. Transfer rice to a heatproof bowl and cover it with a plate (you can discard the cheesecloth at this point, or if you used a bamboo steamer and wish to use the steamer basket as a serving vessel, keep the rice in its cheesecloth parcel and unwrap it right before serving). Let rice cool slightly for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve immediately.

SAVORY STICKY RICE BOWLS (OR STIR-FRIED STICKY RICE)

Steps:

• Rinse, soak and steam rice according to directions in the recipe for Basic Sticky Rice. While rice steams, cook bacon and sausage in a wok or skillet over medium heat, to render a little fat. Add diced onion and stir-fry until onion is soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add red chiles and dried shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and sweet wine. Stir and scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer 1 minute.
• Turn off heat and add cooked sticky rice. Sprinkle lightly with salt and mix well with 2 spoons to incorporate. Serve immediately or transfer to several individual heatproof bowls. (Rice may be reheated later in a water bath.) If desired, invert bowls onto plates. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

SAVORY THAI STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Soak 2 cups sweet (sticky) rice in 3-4 cups water, or enough so water exceeds the rice by at least 1 inch. Soak for at least 40 minutes (if you lose track of time, it's no problem - sticky rice can soak up to 4 hours or longer). Note: Sweet rice has a hard outer shell that needs to soften before it can be cooked.
• While rice is soaking, prepare your steamer. Line a bamboo steamer or colander with 2 layers of banana/bamboo leaf, OR use cheesecloth, or a clean kitchen cloth. To clean and thaw the leaf (if frozen), rinse under hot water. Cut the leaf large enough that it extends over the top. Place steamer over a large pot, and have a tight-fitting lid ready.
• Place bacon in a large frying pan/wok together with 1-2 tablespoons water. Fry over medium-high heat until cooked (chewy, not crisp). Remove from heat, leaving all or half the fat in the frying pan.
• Remove bacon from the pan and cut into small pieces (I use a clean pair of scissors for this, like they do in Asia - much faster and easier than a knife!). Place it back in the frying pan.
• Also add to the frying pan the shallots or onion, mushrooms, garlic, and chili. Return to medium-high heat and stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. If your pan becomes dry, add a little water (1-2 Tbsp.).
• Turn heat to low. Add the drained sticky rice, plus the fish sauce and soy sauces. Also add half the green onion. Stir until the color of the rice has consistently darkened . Remove from heat.
• Transfer the rice from the frying pan into your prepared steamer. Make sure there is at least 1 inch of water in the pot. Cover with the lid and steam over high heat for 30-35 minutes. (You may have to add more water to your steamer partway through.).
• After 30 minutes, remove from heat. Allow to sit (with lid on) for 5 minutes. The rice should be soft, sticky, and slightly translucent. If there are any hard grains, steam 5 minutes longer. (Dig down into the middle of the rice when testing for "done-ness".).
• Taste-test the rice for salt. Sprinkle over a little more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty, add a sqeeze of lime juice. Gently stir rice with a fork or chopsticks to mix inches.
• To serve, slide the banana/bamboo leaf directly onto a serving plate. Or, if you want to pretty it up, line a serving bowl or plate with a fresh banana leaf. Mound the rice on top and sprinkle with remaining spring onion (add optional garnishes too if desired). ENJOY!

HOW TO MAKE THAI STICKY RICE (วิธีทำ ข้าวเหนียว)

Steps:

• The night before you want to cook sticky rice, take your raw sticky rice, place it into a bowl or plastic tub, submerge in water, and allow to soak room temperature overnight. Alternatively, you can soak for at least 4 - 5 hours, but overnight is best.
• Take the sticky rice out of the water (and the grains should be softer and a little swollen), and place into a bamboo steamer, or any type of steamer. Cover the steamer with either a lid, or you can do what I did and cover the basket with a cloth, then a metal lid - just to keep all the steam within the rice.
• Add water to a pot with the steamer over the pot (just make sure the water doesn't touch the sticky rice), and once the water comes to a boil, steam for 15 - 20 minutes (usually 15 minutes for me is perfect) on a medium heat.
• After 15 minutes take off the lid carefully, because it will be very hot, and just grab a taste test of the sticky rice to make sure it's soft and fluffy. If it's still a little crunchy, steam for a few more minutes, but if it's good to go, turn off the heat and either eat immediately, or transfer to some sort of airtight container or basket to hold until you're ready to eat.
• Enjoy Thai sticky rice while it's hot and fresh.

STICKY RICE BALLS THREE WAYS (汤圆: 鲜肉, 芝麻, 菜猪油 | TANG YUáN: XIāN RòU, ZHī MA, CàI ZHū YóU)

Steps:

• Meat filling:
• Combine the pork, soy sauces, salt, wine, and sugar and, using chopsticks, stir in one direction until well combined. Add the sesame oil, white pepper, and ginger-scallion water and stir until the liquid is completely incorporated and the mixture resembles a paste. Add the pi dong and gently mix. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Sesame filling:
• Toast the black and white sesame seeds in a pan over low for 3 to 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them, as they can burn suddenly. Once toasted, the sesame seeds will be slightly darker in color, very fragrant, and easily crushable between your fingers.
• Grind the sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle while still warm (or use a food processor). When the seeds start to release their oils, add the sugar. Continue to grind for 1 minute. Add the dried Osmanthus and the salt. Grind for another 2 to 3 minutes, until mostly homogenous. Add 1 tablespoon of water and the lard, using a fork to combine thoroughly. Alternatively, this process can be done easily in a food processor: first grind the sesame seeds, then add the sugar, ½ teaspoon of the Osmanthus, and salt. Add the water and pork with a fork as above. Refrigerate to harden for 30 minutes-this will facilitate the assembly process.
• Greens filling:
• In a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt, blanch the yu choy until the greens are vibrant green, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to an ice-water bath. Drain and wring to remove excess water, then chop as finely as you can. Combine the greens with the sugar, ginger, salt, lard, and sesame oil until well combined. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Rice ball dough:
• Make a well in the center of the rice flour. Stream in ½ cup (120 ml) of the warm water, mixing with chopsticks continuously until a loose mixture starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until a tacky (but not sticky) dough comes together. If the dough sticks to your hand, add more glutinous rice flour. If it's too dry, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. It should have a texture much like Play-Doh. Knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high. Pinch and roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball, then gently flatten into a disc. Boil it until the rice ball rises, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the rice ball with a slotted spoon and let cool slightly. Incorporate the cooked rice ball into the dough, kneading until completely incorporated and smooth. This extra step will make the dough super malleable and elastic, creating a silky soft and chewy texture when cooked. Set the dough aside and cover with plastic or with a damp towel. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Rice ball assemby:
• Divide the dough in half, and keep one half covered while you work. On a lightly floured surface, with your hands roll the dough into a log 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Divide it into 6 equal pieces (about 35 g each) and roll the pieces into balls. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
• Working with one dough ball at a time, use your thumb to press down the center while your fingers press the edges up into a bowl shape. Take 1 teaspoon of filling and place it in the middle of the wrapper. Close the edges. Wrap your right hand around and squeeze gently while drawing up the sides of the ball and slowly pinching the opening closed. If making meat balls, the traditional shape is a teardrop: Simply close the edges and pinch the dough off to make a teardrop shape. If making sesame balls, gently place the ball pinched side down, then roll quickly but lightly to smooth out. If making greens balls, shape into a rounded cylinder.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough. At this point, you can freeze the rice balls until just before you're ready to serve or up to 3 months. They'll also last in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 1 day.
• To cook the meat and greens rice balls:
• Fill a large pot with water to 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the rim and bring to a boil over high. Gently slide in up to 4 rice balls at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
• Bring the water back to a gentle simmer, then keep the heat on medium-high to stay just below boiling-if you reach boiling the rice balls will overcook. Once the balls float, after about 5 minutes, simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes. If cooking from frozen, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Serve hot with some of the stock they cooked in-this stock isn't meant to be slurped up, but is a way to keep the rice balls hot for consumption. Be careful when eating: The pi dong will become soupy, and we are often scalded when we eat these!
• To cook the sesame rice balls:
• Fill a large pot with water to 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the rim and bring to a boil over high. Gently slide in up to 4 rice balls at a time, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
• Bring the water back to a gentle simmer, then keep the heat on medium-high to stay just below boiling-if you reach boiling the rice balls will overcook.
• Cook for 5 minutes, until the balls float to the top. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of Osmanthus and cook for another 30 seconds. Serve hot, with sweet fermented glutinous rice wine, or with candied Osmanthus, or dried Osmanthus, or both, or none-the variations are endless.
• Ginger-Scallion Water: In a blender, combine 2 thin slices (about ½ ounce/15 g) fresh ginger, 2 scallions, and ½ cup (120 ml) of water and blend on high until puréed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the flavored water.