The Art of Sticky Rice

Some may think that rice doesn't make a difference when it comes to your dishes. FALSE. It does make a big difference.

What's the big deal?

I lived in Japan for a year and a half and I never thought that I would become the rice snob that I have become. In Japan, rice is a staple of Japanese meals. If you ever visit Japan, you could end up eating rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was one of my favorite parts of Japan. While there, I learned quickly how to properly cook amazing sticky rice.

When I returned to the U.S., I was shocked at the rice that was served to me. No offense, but if you think that Panda Express has amazing white rice, then you have not lived. No need to fear. We are going to help you out with that.

3 Things To Consider When Making Sticky Rice

1. Rice Type- When making sticky rice, you want to make sure you use a short-grain rice. Calrose rice is an affordable but great option.

2. Rice Cooker- You can make rice in either a rice cooker or on the stove. I really recommend getting a rice cooker. It cooks the rice evenly and it's much more convenient than making the rice on your stove. Here's a link for a nice affordable rice cooker that gets the job done.

3. WASH YOUR RICE- by rinsing your rice, you clean the extra starch and debris off of the rice. Your rice will be much fluffier and lighter.

So How Do You Do It?

Now that we know some of the components of making sticky rice, let's dive in on HOW to make sticky rice.

1. Get the amount of rice that you need.1/2 cup to 1 cup is great per person. Think about how many people you need to feed and go from there. If it's just you, I would recommend 1 cup. If you want some leftovers, do 2-3 cups.

2. If you're making the rice in a rice cooker, put the rice in the bowl that comes with the rice cooker. If you're making it on the stove, put it in the pot that you are going to use (remember rice expands so put it in a big enough pot).

3. Rinse your rice. I recommend rinsing your rice 2-3 times. If you're not confident with dumping the water out of the rice while the rice is still in the bowl or pot, you can get a fine-mesh strainer and dump the rice in that.

4. Let's add water. This is where it can get intimidating, but don't worry! We are in

this together. Now that your rice is rinsed, start adding water in. The trick that I learned that has worked every time, is to add your water and then put your index finger in the water and touch the very top of your rice. So your fingernail should be on the top of the rice. The water should hit the first joint on your finger. That is how much water you need. Easy right?!

5. For the final step, you will either put the rice on the stove and turn the stove on (you'll need to watch it boil and keep an eye on it to see when it's done) or you can put it in your rice cooker, hit the start button, and sit back and relax.

The Bottom Line

Good sticky rice doesn't need to be intimidating. If you mess it up, I guarantee you're going to have another chance to make more sticky rice. Just keep practicing and soon enough you'll figure it out! I believe in you. If you have any questions, my DM's are open on my Instagram!