I would always laugh when tourists would try to eat their sticky rice with their chopsticks or forks. Or better yet when they would flag over the waiter and tell them that this rice was old. NO: it's sticky rice. And you don't use any utensils to eat it - you use your hands (which is why it is room temperature). You use your RIGHT hand, roll it up into a ball, and then dip it into sauces, and take bites from your ball of sticky rice.
First of all, this is no ordinary rice...it is called SWEET RICE or GLUTINOUS RICE, so be sure to buy the correct kind when at the Asian Supermarket....
There's two ways to make sticky rice: I attempted both and then ended up using the microwave version. Here it is:
How To Steam Glutinous Rice:
Soak the sticky rice in enough cold water to cover the rice: for 8 hours up to 24 hours. Take your steamer, put water inthe bottom, and cover the steam section with cheesecloth. Pour the sticky rice on teh cheesecloth, cover with the lid and put it on the stove on MEDIUM HEAT (if you put it on high, your water will evaporate quickly and then you will set your pot on fire...). Ten minutes into it, flip the rice so both sides get sticky. The sticky rice should take about 20minutes and it will become translucent when finished. It should be soft and chewy, not soggy.
Microwave Method:
Soak the sticky rice. The water level should be just above the rice. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave at full power for 3 minutes. Flip the rice. Microwave for 3 minutes more. If it needs a bit more time, go ahead. Again - you want the rice to become translucent - soft and chewy.
Now, for dessert: in Thailand you see a TON of Mango w/ Sticky Rice. This is super easy, especially if you've already prepared sticky rice.Coconut Sauce:
1 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons agave nectar
*simmer on the stove
Soak the cooked sticky rice in 1/2 of the coconut sauce mixture for about an hour. Scoop out into a dish and top with sliced mango...top it off with a few more spoonfuls of coconut sauce. ENJOY.
