Never miss the sticky rice when visiting Laos! This is a guide for you if you prefer to make one.
Sticky rice, Khao niaow, ເຂົ້າໜຽວ
Khao Niaow
Khao Niaow (sticky rice) is like a life, a family, and a friend for Lao people. It can be a meal, a snack, or combined with sweet coconut milk to make a dessert. Every meal needs to serve with sticky rice to complete a whole meal. Sticky rice can serve with every dish, along with soup, Ping Kai (Grilled chicken), Laap (Meat salad), and Joew (dipping sauce). Khao niaow is also part of a culture and is significant in Laos. People use Khao niaow on special occasions such as marriage, Baci ceremony, tak bat (give alms), ritual, and ceremony. Obviously, sticky rice is the most significant food in Lao culture, and Lao people, it is the root of every meal.
Khao Niaow is steam rice in the bamboo basket and is close with a bamboo lid. The bamboo basket is similar to the cone shape and has curved at the bottom. Originally, Lao people steam it on the tao tan (charcoal stove) to have more scent of the coal. The rice has been soaked for more than hours to make a soft texture. The process of cooking sticky rice is easy, yet the person who steams the rice needs to have the skill to toss the rice and make the rice soft and chewy texture. Eating sticking by hand levels up the goodness of the rice, shape the rice into a small bite or bite-size, then scoop the sauce and food with your thumb.
Where to buy
Rice grain: You can buy the rice in the package labeled “glutinous rice” or “sweet rice” in the supermarket or mini-mart. Besides, at the local market, they also sell regular glutinous rice and “Khao kai noy” (Lao rice product) that you can choose how many kilograms you want.
Ingredients:
2 cups glutinous rice
Unlimited water
Equipment
Bowl
Sticky rice steamer (stainless steel pot and basket)
Gas stove or charcoal stove (optional)
Directions
1. Put the glutinous rice in the bowl and rinse it with water at room temperature.
2. Use both hands to rub the rice vigorously around four times. The water should turn cloudy due to the starch of the rice have removed. Pour the water out and leave the rice in the bowl.
3. Repeat the method two times. if you can see through the rice, which means it is ready to soak.
4. Soak the rice for at least 10 hours or overnight. The soaking part will make the rice soft and fluffy after it is cooked.
5. Fill water about 5 inches high in the stainless steel pot. Turn on the gas stove to high heat and bring the pot on top of it.
6. Grab your soaked rice bowl and scoop all the rice with two hands into the basket.
Put the lid on and place it on top of the pot.
7. Let it steam for about 20 minutes and check if some rice grain is pointed up. If yes, it is ready to toss over to cook another side.
8. Takes out the basket and toss it to make the rice cook evenly (see the video). Put the basket back on top of the pot. Cook it for another 15 - 20 minutes.
9. After the rice is cooked, place the hot rice over to the damp wooden tray and fold the rice three times to cool it down. (see the video).
10. After it cools, scoops the rice with a wooden spoon or rice spatula and your bare hand. Place it on the sticky rice basket.
11. Serve the rice immediately or put it in the cooler bag when ready to serve.
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