How to cook Sticky White Rice
Its amazing how many varieties of rice there are. Each one imparting their own taste and texture to the dish. I first was introduced to Sticky Rice thanks to the famous Thai dish called as "Sticky Rice with Mango"  and have fallen in love with it since. At a first glance this rice looks very similar to Italian Arborio rice. Plump and short. Have used it in quite a few recipes.  The Thai tend to use a special steamer for making this rice. But for me, a bamboo steamer works perfectly enough :)
How to cook Sticky White Rice
Cooking it is so easy and I love how  you can roll this rice into a ball.Its that sticky! There are quite a few methods for making this sticky rice. I generally opt of this method where I use a bamboo steamer lines with Banana leaf. But other easy methods also exists which I will be explaining below. Can you see how the rice clumps up when you pick it up? :) There are quite a variety of dishes that make use of Sticky rice. Both sweet and savory. I have to say, that I am partial to the sweet versions for which I think this rice was made for! How to cook Sticky White Rice I am starting out this post with the method I generally prefer to use. But you can use stove top, Microwave or a Rice Cooker to make the same.
  • Cook time:
  • Prep time:
  • Yields: Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Sticky Rice (also known as "Sweet Rice", "Glutinous Rice")
Method
1. Method - Using Bamboo Steamer and Banana Leaf Rinse rice until it runs clear.
2. Place the rinsed rice in a bowl and pour cold water to about 2-3 inches above the rice. Let it stand for 6-8 hours - a minimal of at least 4 hours.
3. You can use Cheesecloth to steam the rice. But for this pictorial I have made use of banana leaves so that it can impart flavor to the rice. Clean the banana leaves by rinsing it in cold water. You can also use boiling water to do the same.
4. Wipe off  the excess water with paper towel on both the sides.
5. Tear off/cut yellow/hard portions of the leaf
6. Cut it in a size that will fit your steamer.
7. I cut into an approximate rounds so that it lines and fits my bamboo steamer
8. Drain the rice.
9. Place it in the steamer.
10. Steam in Medium-High heat for about 20-25 minutes.  The timing depends on the soaking time and the age of the rice. but on an average, I think it takes 20-30 minutes to get done. I use a regular vessel filled with water and place my steamer above it. You can drop few coins in the water to make sure that the water does not evaporate completely. The coins will keep making a sound while the water is boiling and will stop when there is not enough water :)
11. You know the rice is done when it is tender and looks translucent. Press the rice between your fingers. It should be firm but not hard.
You can see how sticky it is when you bring the rice together. Its shiny and it sticks. Yummy sticky rice is now ready to be used in all your favorite Thai recipes. How to cook Sticky White Rice

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16 Comments

By judy on Jun 12, 2014

Is it necessary to soak the rice for soooo long as i want to try making sticky rice tonight?

By juuy on Jun 12, 2014

Is it necessary to soak the rice for soooo many hours as i ws planing to cook sticky rice tonight?

By Michael Lucas on Apr 18, 2012

Very clear instructions Thank you I use a stainless steamer with a muslin liner. & soak the rice overnight in salted water. Perfect

By Kass on Apr 10, 2012

:) I made this - used a stainless steel steamer and wet kitchen parchment instead of the banana leaf and it worked beautifully - very easy, great results. I'll be making it regularly from now on.

By duggu on Oct 7, 2011

hey wer can i get dat bowl??ur site is gri8 step by step proces of cooking..gri8..thnkx..

By Bhavna on Apr 21, 2011

Hey - I too simply love mango with sticky rice..so thanks for the recipe..i have a handful of arborio rice lying in my pantry - can i cook that in the method you described above to enjoy this fab dessert?

By megha guhya on Apr 14, 2011

i hav never had sticky rice. what i found really cool is the coin trick. very usefull for people like me who suffer from amnesia every time the stove is on!! thanks..

By Caroline on Apr 11, 2011

I love thai sticky rice - especially with mango! Yum! I have never tried the banana leaf trick, maybe that will be the secret to my success!

By Sanjeeta kk on Apr 9, 2011

Have been longing to get that steamer, DK. Lovely presentation and useful tips as well. The click of rice with the chopstick is awesome!

By Cynthia on Apr 9, 2011

Your blog is a true treasure. Thanks for another great post.

By Priya on Apr 9, 2011

Thanks for sharing,never tried cooking sticky rice..

By Hari Chandana on Apr 8, 2011

Interesting one.. looks absolutely tempting.. thanks for the recipe.. Amazing job !! Indian Cuisine

By meenal on Apr 8, 2011

u have written "Yummy sticky rice is not ready to be used in all your favorite Thai recipes." so is there more to this reciepe? And which tpe of Indian rice can come closely to this rice used here? thanks

It was "Now" not "Not"! :)

By Cassandra on Apr 8, 2011

That looks amazing! I do not have a bamboo steamer nor do I know where to get banana leaves but I want to try making this. ;) I'm new to your blog and look forward to trying some of your recipes. :)

By Vidya on Apr 8, 2011

Hey, "But for this pictorial I have made use of bamboo leaves so that it can impart flavor to the rice. " Is that bamboo leaves or banana leaves ? I thought they were banana leaves.

You are right! Guess I was half asleep while typing this post out :) Have corrected the mistake :) Thanks for the pointer

By Nishi on Apr 8, 2011

Oh I just loved this post. And most of all I loved the bamboo steamer. I have never tried sticky rice. Would love to cook this up sometime :)