How to Make Vietnamese Pandan Sticky Rice
How to cook pandan sticky rice that is delicious, chewy, and beautifully green, following Cookbeo's method. The addition of coconut milk makes this dish much more appealing.
Ingredients
- 500g sticky rice
- 320g fresh pandan leaves
- 50g grated coconut
- 40ml coconut milk
- Cooking oil
- Coarse salt
- 20g sugar (optional if you prefer sweet sticky rice)
Ingredient Notes
You can find fresh pandan leaves at local markets, typically for about 3000 VND per bunch.
The amount of pandan leaves used will affect the color of the sticky rice. If you want a deeper green, increase the amount of pandan leaves. You can also use food coloring, but only add 1-2 drops as it is highly concentrated and can result in overly dark green rice.
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
Trim off any wilted or damaged parts of the pandan leaves, then soak and wash them thoroughly in salt water. Cut the pandan leaves into sections, blend with water to create a puree, and strain the mixture to extract the green juice.
Rinse the sticky rice thoroughly and place it in a large bowl. Pour the pandan juice over the rice and soak for 5-6 hours.
While soaking, stir the rice occasionally to ensure even coloring. This is similar to using turmeric powder when making other types of sticky rice, as the sediment can settle at the bottom or rise to the top, resulting in uneven coloring.
Peel and clean the coconut flesh, then shred it into fine strips. Store in the fridge if not used immediately.
Mix the Rice
Before steaming the rice, there's a small but important step to enhance the flavor of the pandan sticky rice.
After soaking the rice in pandan juice, rinse the rice once more to remove any sourness. Place the rice in a bowl and mix it with 1 teaspoon of fine salt and 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Gently mix until the rice is evenly coated.
Steam the Pandan Sticky Rice
Add water to the steamer, filling it about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. When the water is boiling, add the rice to steam, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. This ensures the rice cooks evenly, preventing the bottom from becoming mushy while the top remains undercooked.
Use chopsticks to poke small holes in the surface of the rice to help steam circulate evenly.
You can wrap the rice in a cloth to easily lift it out and make cleaning the steamer more convenient.
To make the pandan sticky rice perfect, steam it in two stages. The first steam takes about 20-25 minutes. After the first steam, take the rice out and let it rest for a while before steaming it a second time.
At this stage, drizzle 40ml of coconut milk over the rice, gently mix, and wrap it in a cloth. The coconut milk adds richness to the sticky rice. Let the rice rest for 5-10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, bring the water to a boil again, then reduce the heat and steam the rice for a second time. Spread the rice evenly, poke a few holes in the surface, and cover it with a cloth. Add fresh pandan leaves to enhance the fragrance. Steam for another 15-20 minutes.
Once the sticky rice is cooked and chewy, remove it from the steamer. If you prefer a mildly sweet taste, mix in 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir evenly.
Video
Alternative Method
Besides the method described above, you can also make pandan sticky rice using a rice cooker. The process is similar to cooking sticky rice with peanuts in a rice cooker. Wash the sticky rice, clean the pandan leaves, and extract the juice. The juice will be used for cooking the sticky rice.
Place a few pandan leaves at the bottom of the rice cooker to prevent the rice from sticking. Then add the rice, coarse salt, and oil. Pour the pandan juice just enough to cover the surface of the rice. Avoid adding too much liquid as it will result in soggy rice. Press the cook button.
When the rice is done and the cooker switches to warm, wait about 10 minutes, then fluff the rice gently and close the lid again. At this point, the rice may still be a bit dry, so you can drizzle some more pandan juice and cook it one more time until the rice is soft and chewy. This step can be repeated 1-2 times until you are satisfied with the texture.
In the final cooking cycle, drizzle some coconut milk over the rice for added fragrance and richness. And that's how you can make pandan sticky rice using a rice cooker.
Thanks to thorough soaking, pandan sticky rice has a beautiful green color. The grains are chewy yet not mushy, with the fragrant aroma of pandan leaves combined with the rich creaminess of coconut milk. With just a few tips, you can create a delicious plate of pandan sticky rice that delights both the eyes and the palate.
We wish you success with Cookbeo's recipe!
