There are two categories of rice: Indica or Japonica. Glutinous or sticky rice is in the category of Japonica and is most often used to make desserts.
Sticky rice originated in Southeast Asia, which includes Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is often called the glutinous rice zone.
In Cambodia, sticky rice is known as “bay damnaeb” and is used to make desserts such as ansom chek, kralan and num pla aly.
Chinese glutinous rice is known as “nuomi” or “chut’bi.” They are often eaten with red bean paste. It is often used to make dumplings or dishes served as dim sum such as nuomi fan.
Zongzi is a Chinese dumpling of glutinous rice and sweet or savory fillings, then wrapped in large bamboo leaves. They are boiled or steamed and traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Ifugao is a popular Chinese dish consisting of cooked glutinous rice compressed into squares or rectangles, and deep fried.
In Thailand, sticky rice is called “khao niao.” There is a special bamboo steamer that looks like a hat that is used for steaming sticky rice. Thais love to eat their sticky rice with mango. I love this dessert and when in Thailand, learned to eat that dessert with my fingers.
In the Philippines, sticky rice is called “malagkit” in Tagalog, “pilit” in Visayan, and “diket” in Ilocano. All translate to mean sticky.
Biko is easy to make with just four ingredients. There are many versions, but this is my favorite recipe.
Biko
3 cups sweet sticky rice
1 cup short grain rice
1 pound box brown sugar
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
Wash sweet glutinous rice in cold water. Keep washing until the water runs clear. Cover with water and soak overnight.
Wash the short grain rice and mix with sweet sticky rice that was soaked overnight. Add 4-1/2 cups water and cook rice in a rice cooker.
Mix brown sugar and coconut milk together and cook until the brown sugar dissolves and is thick.
Mix rice and coconut mixture together in a 9×13-inch baking pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for one hour. Cool completely, for 3 hours, then cut with a plastic knife.
Thai Sticky Rice with Mango (Khao Neeo Mamuang)
1 cup sweet glutinous rice
Wash the rice in a mixing bowl and cover with cold water, then vigorously swish the rice with your hand to release loose starch. Pour off the cloudy water and repeat the washing four times or until the water runs clear. Cover the rice with water and let soak, preferably overnight. The next day, drain the rice and steam it with a wet muslin or thin white tea towel in a Thai bamboo steamer, if you have one. If not, in a steamer for 30 minutes over boiling water.
While the rice is steaming, combine in a pot until the sugar and salt have dissolved:
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (unless you have pandan leaf — one leaf, tied into a knot)
Reheat when the rice is cooked to pour over the rice.
When the sticky rice is done, place it into a mixing bowl and immediately pour the hot syrup over the rice. Stir to break up any lumps, then cover with a lid, and let sit for 20 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to hold the bottom part of the rice up to the top to help part of rice up to the top to redistribute the liquid, let sit for at least another 20 minutes or until ready to serve. The rice should have absorbed all the liquid and looks plump and shiny, but not mushy.
Use only sweet, ripe mangoes. Peel and slice and serve with sticky rice.
Make only what you will eat as sticky rice does not do well in the refrigerator.
The sticky rice with lap cheong or Chinese sausage and mushroom, or ho ip fan, is one of my favorite dishes that I look for when at a dim sum restaurant.
Sticky Rice with Lap Cheong and Mushrooms (Hop Ip Fan)
Serves 8
Place is saucepan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes:
2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)
Chop the sausages and set aside.
Discard the stems of:
4 shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
Chop the mushroom caps and set aside.
In a saucepan, place:
2 rice-cooker cups (1-1/2 cups standard measuring cups) raw glutinous rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken broth (should be about 1/2 inch above the rice)
On medium heat, cook rice until tender and water has evaporated, about 30 minutes or cook in a rice cooker.
In a wok, heat:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Add the chopped lap cheong
1/2 cup char siu
10 dried shrimp, soaked and chopped
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Chopped mushrooms
Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Mix with cooked rice and add:
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped Chinese parsley
If you can get dried lotus leaves, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes and cut them in half. If using banana leaves, clean them. If using ti leaves, remove stem, clean. Place about 1/2 cup of rice mixture in the center and fold over into a packet in any shape, as long as it is closed.You may tie them with kitchen twine. Place in a steamer and cook for 15 minutes. Cut and discard the sting and serve with the leaf.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.