Spice Up Your Dining Table With Sticky Rice

Sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, etc. is grown in most Southeast Asian countries, and is part of the traditional cuisine. No important function is complete without it. In China, glutinous rice has been grown for at least 2,000 years, and was also used in the construction of the Great Wall of China. It is unlike other rice varieties grown in Asia, i.e., the grains stick to each other at a higher degree than other rice grains. Glutinous rice does not contain gluten, but a high level of amylopectin, a polymer of glucose which is responsible for its sticky appearance and texture.

Ways to Prepare Sticky or Glutinous Rice

One can make this in a steamer, a microwave as well as a rice cooker. Every method would result in the rice becoming sticky, although steaming is a traditional way of cooking the rice, a microwave will save you quite a bit of effort, and with a rice cooker - you can plug and serve as per your timing. Soak the rice at least for an hour before you begin cooking it. The grains have a tough exterior, soaking will soften it up, and make its texture sticky.

Steaming: Take a steamer, place water in it, and place the divider in place. Spoon the steam rice on the divider, and cover with the lid. The heat should be on medium, let the rice cook in the steamer for 20-25 minutes. Take the steamer off the flame, stand for five minutes and then remove the rice.

Rice Cooker: Add rice in the cooker along with water (1 cup rice with 1¼ cups of water). Plug and turn on the rice cooker for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Once the rice cooker gets switched off, stand the rice in cooker to soften with the steam for ten minutes. Uncover, and stir, serve hot.

Microwaving: In a microwave proof dish, add rice and water (½ cup rice and ¾ cup water). Cover the bowl, and cook on HIGH for three minutes. Stir it once, and aging cook on HIGH for two more minutes. In most cases the rice gets cooked in this much time, but given the variations of heat levels in each microwave, one may need to cook the rice for a few minutes more. Cooked rice should appear translucent.

Preparing Glutinous Rice Balls

This rice ball is easy to make, and has fillings unique to each Oriental country. Eaten round the year, and during special festivals, they can be flavored with interesting fillings or rolled in toppings. To make sticky rice balls, keep your rice cooked and ready. A note here, while cooking rice specifically for making balls, add in a little bit more water than usual. Prepare the filling and set aside. Take a tablespoon of warm rice (warm rice sticks better than cold rice) in your clean hands, and shape it into a ball, using a finger, dent a hole in the rice ball, add the filling, and round up the ball again. If you do not prefer to have a filling in the rice ball, roll them in crushed peanuts or sesame seeds.

Sticky Rice Dessert Recipe

Ingredients:

• Ripe yellow mangoes, 2
• Cooked glutinous rice, 1 cup
• Coconut cream, 1 cup
• Sugar, ¼ cup
• Salt, a pinch

In a small saucepan, mix together coconut cream, sugar and salt, and bring it to a boil, until consistency begins to thicken. Reserve, four tablespoons, mix the remaining in the rice. Let the cream set in the rice, meanwhile, cut mango slices. Spoon a portion of rice on a plate, top it with mango slices and the reserved coconut cream. Serve immediately.

Now that you know how easy it is to make rice in this form, spice up your dining table with this Oriental dish!