Lao Sticky Rice (Khao Niew)
The staple at the center of Lao meals: soaked glutinous rice steamed rather than boiled, then rested in a woven basket.
About this dish
Khao niew, Lao sticky rice, is not a side note to Lao cooking. Laos's official tourism authority describes sticky rice as a long-standing staple and a symbol of culture, lifestyle and social bonds. The traditional method soaks glutinous rice for hours, then steams it above water in a cone-shaped bamboo huad so the grains cook through without becoming wet or porridge-like.
Why this dish matters
Sticky rice is eaten with an extraordinary range of Lao foods and is traditionally kept warm in a woven katip khao basket. Pha Khao Lao documents that sticky rice accounts for a large share of rice consumption in Laos and gives a detailed home method using the huad and maw nung steamer. Diners commonly pinch off a small portion, shape it with the fingers and use it to accompany dishes such as larb and jeow.
Use Thai/Lao glutinous rice labeled sticky or sweet rice; ordinary jasmine rice does not become the same food. A metal steamer lined with cloth can work in a pinch, but the traditional bamboo huad handles moisture especially well.
Preparation notes
Six hours is a reliable baseline; older rice may need longer. Hot-water soaking can shorten the wait in a pinch.
The rice should sit above the water. Direct boiling changes the texture completely.
Spreading the finished rice briefly keeps trapped condensation from turning the grains soggy in the basket.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 3 cups Lao or Thai glutinous rice
- Plenty of cool water, for rinsing and soaking
Method
- 1.Rinse the glutinous rice briefly to remove loose husk or dust without washing excessively.
- 2.Cover with at least 1 inch of cool water and soak 6 hours or overnight. For a faster method, soak in hot water about 2 hours.
- 3.Drain the rice thoroughly. Bring water to a boil in a traditional sticky-rice steaming pot or another pot that can support a bamboo cone steamer above the water line.
- 4.Transfer rice to the dampened bamboo huad, level it loosely and cover with a bamboo lid or clean cloth.
- 5.Steam 15 minutes. Carefully flip or turn the mass of rice so the upper portion moves closer to the steam.
- 6.Steam another 10–15 minutes. Checkpoint: grains should be fully tender with no hard white core, cling together when pinched, and taste softly nutty rather than waterlogged.
- 7.Turn the rice onto a clean tray, cloth or banana leaf and spread it briefly with a wooden paddle to release excess steam.
- 8.Gather into a loose mound and transfer to a woven sticky-rice basket or covered serving container. Serve warm with larb, jeow, grilled foods or stews.
Worth finding before you cook
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