Quite a number of malay desserts make use of glutinous rice. Some of my favorites are Kuih Serimuka or otherwise known as Putri Salat and Kuih Lopes. Some others are Pulut Inti, Pulut Panggang and I’m sure many more. However, I wanted to make some pulut to go with the mangoes I bought. It’s a popular Thai dessert called Glutinous Rice with Mango. Unlike white rice, glutinous rice is more starchy and will give a more sticky consistency once cooked. Here’s the picture of the rice packet I bought in case you’re wondering what to look out for when you go shopping. The one main and most important word to look out for is ‘Glutinous’. If you can find it, I bought mine from the Asian store, you’re good to go.

I have a multi-storey aluminium steamer but no dish wide enough to cook in the steamer as well as small enough to fit into my petite 24cm steamer. I must say I had quite a bit of trouble trying to find out how to steam glutinous rice because most of the websites I found showed how to steam the rice using a Thai rice steamer, which I didn’t have and didn’t intend to purchase, or using the microwave, which I personally did not subscribe to very much although I do own one. What I was looking for was a method to the steam rice in a multi-storey aluminium steamer without the need to buy another bowl/container. Well, I finally figured a method from piecing information together. But you can have the method hassle free! with pictures too and you don’t have to order anything now.

How to steam glutinous rice in a multi-layer steamer?

• Wash 1 cup of glutinous rice until the water is clear.
• Soak the rice for 4 hrs or more in tap water. Drain.
• Use a piece of damp cheesecloth or muslin cloth big enough to cover the base of the steamer (the rack with holes on it) and lay it out.

• Pour the rice on the cloth and spread the rice out evenly.

• The excess cheesecloth can be folded over the rice so that it is not unsightly or dangles through the steamer holes.

• When the water in the steamer is boiling, place the steamer rack with the rice in cheesecloth over it.
• Cover tightly and steam for 20 minutes.
• Open the cover, unfold the cloth, use a spoon to turn the rice over. Do this step fast.
• Place it back on the steamer and steam for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from the cheesecloth, put on a plate.  To be used as necessary.

I’ll put up the recipe for glutionous rice with mango next so that you can see what it looks like. To me it looks like any other rice just that it clumps together because it’s a lot more sticky.

Tips:

• The longer you soak the rice, the shorter the cooking time.
• The rice should not be crunchy. It should be chewy when cooked properly.
• When using the multi-layer steamer, make sure you pour enough water so that it does not dry out.
• If water level becomes too low, top up with boiling hot water from the kettle so that there will not be a temperature difference.
• If you have a container that fits into the steamer, and can be used for steaming, use it.