Sticky rice is a familiar dish to Vietnamese people. Many people choose sticky rice as their daily breakfast because it is inexpensive and filling. It is also a common dish in festive meals and ancestral offerings during holidays and death anniversaries.
When making sticky rice, you can combine rice with various ingredients to add color and make the dish more appealing and tasty.
**Choosing Good-Quality Glutinous Rice for Sticky Rice**
Selecting the right type of glutinous rice is essential to achieving the desired stickiness and aroma. Each variety of glutinous rice has a different level of stickiness, aroma, and price. You can choose the one that best suits your specific needs.
According to traditional wisdom, glutinous rice variety called “nếp cái hoa vàng” is often chosen for making sticky rice because it doesn’t shrink much during cooking, and the grains turn out shiny and evenly shaped. Other good options include “nếp nhưng,” “nếp ngỗng,” “nếp nương Điện Biên,” and “nếp Tú Lệ,” which are known for their natural fragrance and soft, sticky texture when cooked.
When choosing glutinous rice, look for grains that are opaque white, plump, evenly rounded, and have the fresh aroma of new rice.
**Soaking the Rice**
Soaking the rice is an important step before cooking sticky rice. Soak the rice in water for about 6-8 hours to allow the grains to absorb moisture, ensuring optimal stickiness when cooked. When soaking the rice, add a small amount of salt to neutralize the sour smell that can develop when rice is soaked for an extended period, and to enhance the flavor of the sticky rice. After soaking, drain the rice in a colander, rinse it with clean water, and let it drain again before transferring it to the steamer.
If you’re short on time, you can soak the rice in hot water for 30-40 minutes to speed up the absorption process without causing the grains to swell and clump together. Do not soak the rice in hot water for too long. Afterward, drain the rice in a colander to prepare for steaming.
For an even quicker method, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the glutinous rice, stirring continuously for 30-40 seconds. Be careful not to over-soak the rice to prevent it from swelling, sticking, and clumping.
After draining the glutinous rice, you can add a pinch of salt, a few drops of cooking oil, or chicken fat to enhance the flavor and shine of the sticky rice. Depending on regional preferences, you can also mix in coconut milk and sugar.
Glutinous rice should be soaked before steaming.
**Coloring the Sticky Rice**
To add color to your sticky rice, you can use various natural ingredients that are easily accessible.
*- Green Sticky Rice:*
For green-colored sticky rice, use pandan leaf juice. Blend pandan leaves with a small amount of water, then strain the mixture to remove the pulp. Mix two-thirds of the pandan juice with clean water and soak the glutinous rice overnight. The remaining juice can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.
Before steaming the rice, drain it and transfer it to a steamer. When the rice is almost cooked, mix it with the reserved pandan juice to evenly distribute the color. Steam for a few more minutes to ensure the rice is soft and sticky.
If you only soak the rice in pandan water, the color may fade during steaming, so it’s essential to mix in the pandan juice after steaming. However, be cautious not to use too much pandan leaf, as it can overpower the dish.
*- Yellow Sticky Rice:*
For yellow-colored sticky rice, use turmeric powder. Mix turmeric powder with water and soak the rice in this solution overnight. If you’re not a fan of the taste of turmeric, you can soak the rice in the turmeric water for about an hour, then discard the water and soak the rice in clean water. To ensure the removal of any residual turmeric taste, change the water once more during the soaking process.
Natural ingredients can be used to color sticky rice.
*- Pink Sticky Rice:*
For pink-colored sticky rice, use red dragon fruit. Puree or mash the dragon fruit, then strain it through a sieve to obtain the juice. Mix the dragon fruit juice with the glutinous rice and soak it overnight. Additionally, prepare some extra dragon fruit juice to ensure the desired color intensity.
During steaming, the pink color will turn orange. Therefore, when the rice is almost cooked, mix in the reserved dragon fruit juice to tint the rice pink. Steam for a few more minutes to ensure the rice is soft.
*- Red Sticky Rice:*
The simplest way to achieve red-colored sticky rice is to use gac fruit. Mix gac flesh with a small amount of white liquor, then combine it with the soaked and drained rice before steaming.
Alternatively, you can use cẩm leaves to create red-colored sticky rice. However, keep in mind that the color may vary depending on the type of cẩm leaves used. To obtain a red color, be sure to select the red variety of cẩm leaves.
*- Blue Sticky Rice:*
For blue-colored sticky rice, use butterfly pea flowers. Soak the flowers in hot water to infuse the water with a vibrant blue color. Once the flowers have released their color, discard the petals and use the colored water to soak the rice. After steaming the rice, you can mix in some more butterfly pea flower water, then steam for an additional 2-3 minutes to intensify the color.
**Tip for Keeping Sticky Rice Soft for a Longer Period**
If you want your sticky rice to stay soft for a more extended period, you can cook it twice. In the first cooking, steam the rice until it’s almost done, then spread it out on a tray or plate to cool. Before serving, mix the rice with a small amount of water and steam it again to restore its softness. With this method, your sticky rice will remain soft even if left for a while.
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