- Glutinous or Sweet Rice – Start with the right variety of rice. It is labeled “glutinous” or “sweet”. Other types of rice (like jasmine rice) will not work.
- Soaking in Water – Before cooking, the rice must be soaked in water for a couple of hours. Let the rice stand at least 40 minutes and up to 4 hours. Sticky rice has a hard outer shell that needs to soften in order for it to achieve the best texture.
- Steaming – The rice is steamed over simmering water. Authentic sticky rice cannot be boiled directly in water like other types of rice.
Sticky rice is typically steamed, but you can also make sticky rice in rice cookers. It cuts down on steps and makes it a lot easier.
Uses for Sticky Rice
There are several dishes that sticky rice can be used in including desserts. Some people use it in sushi, dumplings, and more. It’s great for use in stir fry or in Italian risotto. In Chinese cooking though, long-grain rice works well for savory dishes while short-grain rice is great for desserts. Long-grain rice is firmer while sticky rice, or short-grain rice, is sweeter and softer.
What Type of Rice to Use for Sticky Rice?
When it comes to making sticky rice, the shorter the grain, the better the sticky rice will be. Any short-grained rice will work better than your traditional long-grained rice. What you are looking for is called glutinous rice as it’s sticky in nature
Do You Have to Soak Sticky Rice?
Before cooking sticky rice, it should be soaked in cold water for anywhere from 4-10 hours. Some people will soak it overnight. Some will say you don’t have to soak it, but it won’t be as sticky or as good.
Easy Sticky Rice
Ingredients Needed:
- 2 cups sticky rice
- 2-2.5 cups water
- .5 tsp salt
- Add the above ingredients to your rice cooker and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Turn on your rice cooker, and if it has an automatic timer, let it cook until it turns off.
- If your cooker doesn’t have a timer, time it for 15-20 minutes.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes until ready to eat. The longer it sits, the stickier it gets. Play around with the amount of water to find the one that’s right for you.
Sources:
https://myasiancooking.com/how-to-make-sticky-rice-rice-cooker/