In Thailand sticky rice is the equivalent of bread at Western meals. It’s always on the table, from soup to dessert. This is a classic sticky rice dessert, with its topping of sweet and salty roasted peanuts, and such
a treat that I find each time I serve it, eyes light up as spoons dip into it for that first sensuous, coconut-rich bite. There are a few rules for making the Thai version of coconut sticky rice. It must always be pure white, so white sugar rather than palm sugar is used as a sweetener. Pandanus leaf, a vanilla-scented herb that is ubiquitous in Thai cooking, is the preferred flavoring; it can be found at Asian grocery stores. The recipe calls for a garnish of bananas poached lightly in the coconut milk mixture, which is one of many possibilities. During mango season, try serving a mound of freshly sliced fruit, dripping with sweet
juices, alongside the sticky rice, with a river of coconut milk poured over all. Sweet and salty roasted peanuts are one garnish; another is fried shallots (yes, for dessert); and another is coconut custard—your
imagination is the only real limit.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients:
2 cups (400 g) sticky rice
4½ cups (1.1 l) coconut milk
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, or to taste ½ teaspoon ne sea salt
1 pandanus leaf, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) lengths, or a 1-inch (2.5-cm)
piece vanilla bean
FOR THE PEANUTS:
½ cup (80 g) peanuts, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon palm sugar ½ teaspoon fleur de sel
FOR THE BANANAS:
2 bananas, cut into ¼-inch thick (.6 cm) diagonal slices
Note: The best coconut milk is fresh from a coconut. An excellent substitute, however, is UHT coconut milk, which comes in a rectangular carton. Barring that, try canned organic coconut milk.
Coconut sticky rice is luscious for breakfast.
Directions:
1. Place the sticky rice in a sieve and wash it under cool running water until the water runs nearly clear. Place the rice in a bowl, cover it with water, and let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Bring 3 cups (750 ml) water to a boil in the bottom half of a steamer. Place the rice in a conical colander lined with cheesecloth and place over the steaming water. Cover and steam until the rice is tender but not so soft it sticks together, 20 to 25 minutes. (If you don’t have a conical bamboo steamer—readily available at most Asian groceries— use a flat-bottomed steamer or improvise with a colander.)
3. While the rice is cooking, place the coconut milk, granulated sugar, salt, and pandanus leaf or vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat just to simmer, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Be very careful not to boil the coconut cream. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Also remove the pandanus leaf or vanilla bean.
4. When the rice is steamed, place it in a bowl the right size for it to fill the bowl three-quarters full. Carefully spoon enough coconut cream mixture over it to cover the rice by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Cover and let sit until the rice has absorbed all of the coconut cream, about 25 minutes. Reserve the remaining coconut cream mixture.
5. While the rice is absorbing the coconut cream, prepare the peanuts. Place the peanuts and the palm sugar in a mortar and crush them together, using the pestle, until the peanuts are quite finely ground and thoroughly combined with the sugar. (You may do this in a food processor, making sure not to process the nuts and sugar into peanut butter.) Stir in the fleur de sel and transfer the mixture to a serving bowl.
6. Return the remaining coconut cream to the pan over low heat. Add the sliced bananas and heat the bananas until they are hot through, about 8 minutes. Do not boil the coconut cream.
7. To serve, fold the coconut sticky rice three or four times to thoroughly mix the coconut cream into it. Using a large spoon, spoon out the rice into shallow soup bowls. Top with equal amounts of the coconut banana mixture, then sprinkle with a generous amount of the peanuts and serve any remaining peanuts alongside as a garnish.
