How to Make Sticky Rice Perfectly

Learn how to make perfect steamed sticky rice with super easy steps- soaking and steaming. Sticky rice or glutinous rice is a very popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Once mastered with this method, you can further adding other ingredients to make it well flavored. Let’s get started.

What’s sticky rice

Sticky rice is a naturally gluten-free rice group. Sticky or glutinous rice may sound like one type, but in fact, there are numerous varieties grown across Asia. Compared with other rice varieties, it is low in fiber, vitamins, and protein, but higher in glycemic.

With its chewy, glue-like texture, sticky rice is a beloved staple across Asian cuisines. Sticky rice has long been a staple grain and cultural symbol in China. Food made with sticky rice has been related to most of the Chinese holidays. The Dragon Boat Festival and Lunar New Year are two major Chinese holidays where sticky rice is eaten ceremoniously and incorporated into offerings. During the Dragon Boat Festival, leaf-wrapped sticky rice dumplings called zongzi are eaten to commemorate the poet Qu Yuan. For the Lunar New Year, glutinous rice cakes called nian gao are popular symbols of luck and prosperity. Sticky rice and sticky rice flour are my grandma’s favorite ingredients for holiday foods.

Other names: Sticky rice is also referred to as sweet rice and glutinous rice.

Equipements

In addition to sticky rice and water, we will need the following equipment to steam the sticky rice

• Steamer pot with lid – Choose a saucepan or pot with a tight-fitting lid and a rack or basket that keeps the rice above the water. But we recommend a bamboo steamer the best.
• Rice paddle or wooden spoon – Useful for stirring and mixing rice without damaging grains.
• Liners – line the steamer basket with a damp cloth to prevent the rice from sticking.

How to steam sticky rice

Here is a basic outline of how to steam sticky rice.

1. Clean and Soak

• Pick over raw sticky rice, removing any discolored grains
• Place rice in a bowl and rinse several times with fresh water, draining thoroughly, until the water runs clear. This removes excess surface starch.
• Add fresh water to the rinsed rice, the water level should be higher than 1-2 inches as the rice will absorb the water. Allow rice to soak for at least 4 hours until the grains can be easily smashed. In summer, place it in the fridge, please.

2. Line your steamer

• Fill the steamer pot or wok with enough water so it just touches the bottom of the steamer basket when placed in.
• Line the steamer basket with a wet cloth. This prevents the rice from sticking to the basket.

• Spread the soaked rice evenly into the lined steamer basket. Break up any clumps. Our traditional way is to dig a small hole in the center so the vapor can go through quickly. But not sure whether it is necessary or not.

3. Steam the sticky rice

• Place the steamer basket in a pot over boiling water.
• Steam rice for 30 minutes over medium-high heat.
• Turn off the heat. Let the steamer sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove the lid and use a rice paddle or wooden spoon to gently fluff and fold rice to release excess moisture.

Cook’s Tip

1. Make sure you soaked the sticky rice until soft, this is the key step for steamed sticky rice.
2. If you plan to serve it directly, serve it warm. After cooling, the sticky rice becomes hardened.
3. You can add coconut milk to the rice.
4. steamed sticky rice is still sticky, but much better than boiled sticky rice.
5. You can go on and use the steamed sticky rice in other recipes.

How to cook with sticky rice

• Lo Mai Gai: Lo Mai Gai is a savory dish of chicken, mushrooms, and other ingredients wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf pouch of sticky rice.
• Mango Sticky Rice: Sweet sticky rice topped with fresh mango and coconut cream. Iconic Thai dessert is now enjoyed across Asia.
• Sticky rice shumai: this is a lovely Northern style of shumai using sticky rice and shiitake mushroom.
• Sticky rice with ribs: you can also steam the sticky rice with marinated ingredients like marinated ribs, and marinated chicken to turn it into a savory dish.
• Ci-ba: you can go over to smash the sticky rice and shape it into squares. Then pan-frying the cake until golden brown.
• Fermented sticky rice wine: if you want to ferment it, spread some starter to make a sticky rice wine after steamed.

FAQs