Served throughout China and Southeast Asia, sticky rice has become associated most closely with Thailand, where it is the equivalent of France’s bread, eaten at almost every meal. It’s addictive and easily made at home, as long as you plan ahead a bit. Sticky rice is one of the few grains—indeed, foods—that can be prepared without salt and still taste great.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 cup sticky (glutinous) rice

　　

Step 1

Rinse the rice, then soak it in water to cover for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

　　

Step 2

Drain, then wrap in cheesecloth and put in a steamer above boiling water. Steam for about 30 minutes, until tender.

　　

Sticky Rice with Nam Pla and Coconut Milk

Step 3

Making a good thing better: Toss the cooked rice with 1 cup coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned, and 1 tablespoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce; see page 500). Rewrap and steam (or microwave) for 5 more minutes to reheat.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.