What makes sticky rice

But short-grain sticky rice will work better in desserts, such as sweet rice cake or stuffed lotus root. Before cooking sticky rice , it should be soaked in tepid water. Soaking the grain softens the tough outer shell and ensures the rice will be cooked throughout. This can be done overnight or for a shorter amount of time at least 30 minutes before cooking; a longer soaking time will give the rice more flavor. Place the rice in the cooking pot and cover with water.

To steam on the stovetop, allow the water and rice to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. If all of the water has not been absorbed, steam for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, checking often.

Then place the lid on the pot and let sit for 10 minutes to continue cooking. To cook in a bamboo steamer, drain the soaked rice, place in the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and translucent.

Unless the rice is being served on its own, it is often soaked and then added to recipes uncooked. Sticky rice is also called "sweet rice" because of its taste. It has a sweeter taste than regular white rice, which is why it works so well in dessert recipes.

But mainly, it is prized for its chewy and sticky texture. Glutinous rice is employed in recipes where the rice needs to clump together. You should also make sure to not add too much water. Now that you have your perfectly cooked sticky rice, there are endless ways to use it. Serve it alongside a spicy red curry full of crunchy fresh vegetables.

Or turn it into dessert by adding fruit and sweetened coconut milk. Need more inspiration on what to eat with sticky rice? Check out these delicious recipes just waiting to be eaten alongside your home-cooked Asian side:. Sticky rice is best eaten the same day, but if you find you have extra, it can be stored and saved for later.

Just remember sticky rice will get stickier over time. However, you can freeze sticky rice! Fill a plastic bag, remove the excess air and store it in the freezer for up to two months. Or, fill a plastic bag; remove the excess air and store in the freezer until needed. The name simply refers to its sticky and glue-like texture.

Sticky rice gets its infamous stickiness from starch; or rather, one type of starch in particular. Other starchy foods contain two starch components—amylose and amylopectin.

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So how do those inedible, uncooked grains turn into the deliciously sticky situation in a good way with which you are familiar? Being the more water-soluble of the two starches, amylopectin — when added to hot water — begins to break apart.

I stress hot water because this process is entirely heat-dependent, meaning that if you simply dumped uncooked rice into a pot of cold water, nothing would happen. Just the way we like it.

There are countless other uses for starch and its glue-like qualities, both in and out of the kitchen.