Black Sticky Rice Pudding

... submitted by dave
from Chicago, IL

Kao Niow Dahm

2 cups whole-grain black sticky rice, sweet rice or glutinous rice
2 cups, or 1 can, coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds and/or toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
(optional) Strawberries (or mango slice) and mint leaves (optional)

Measure the rice into a bowl; run your fingers through the rice and check
for any pebbles or other noticeable impurities. Rinse the rice a few times
until the water clears. Cover with at least 2 inches of water and allow to
soak 4 or more hours, or overnight. The grains will absorb water and grow
in size. When ready to cook, drain the rice and place in a heat-proof
bowl with room enough for the rice grains to expand about a third more
than its uncooked bulk. Add a small amount of boiling water, just enough
to barely cover the rice grains. Place the bowl on a steamer rack and
steam over medium heat about 30-40 minutes. If you do not have a steamer,
use a large pot in which the bowl fits. Place a trivet on the bottom
along with 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Balance the bowl with the
rice on the trivet and add hot water to the rice. Cover and steam.
Steaming the rice with a small volume of water will leave the top layer of
grains intact, retaining a chewy texture which pops in your mouth like
nuts. If you wish the rice to be softer, add more water to the rice.
While the rice is steaming, make the coconut sauce by heating the coconut
milk, sugar and salt together in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar
and salt and blend the sauce until smooth. Keep warm. When the rice is
cooked and while still hot out of the steamer, add about half of the sauce
or enough to thoroughly coat the rice. Stir and mix well. The rice should
be wet but not swimming in sauce. Let stand 15-20 minutes to allow the
flavorings to be absorbed. Reserve the remaining sauce for spooning over
the rice before serving. The flavored rice can be molded into a round
mound on a serving plate and decorated with toasted sesame seeds and/or
coconut shreds, sliced strawberries and mint leaves for color. Or dish
into individual serving bowls or custard cups, topped with the reserved
sauce, toasted seeds and coconut and a mint leaf. For a wetter pudding
like texture, the rice may alternatively be cooked by boiling, the same
way as you would regular rice. Use 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water to each cup of
rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook partially covered
until the grains are cooked and surrounded by a thick sauce, stirring
occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Add sugar to sweeten to your
liking. Stir well, cover and place on lowest heat setting for another 5-10
minutes. Make the sauce less sweet but more salty for contrast with the
already sweetened rice. When ready to serve, dish the rice into individual
serving bowls and dribble some sauce over each serving. Serve warm or at
room temperature.

Notes: Because of its rich, nutty flavor, black sticky rice is usually
eaten by itself and not served with fruits, like white sticky rice often
is with mangoes. For toppings, stronger flavors like toasted sesame seeds
or toasted shredded coconut do more to accentuate the natural flavor of
the rice. Unsweetened shredded coconut is available in small packages from
Asian food markets or sold in bulk in specialty food stores.

http://www.simpleinternet.com/recipes/
International Recipes OnLine
On-Line Culinary Discussion at Food.Chat:
http://www.simpleinternet.com/foodchat/

--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/