Jasmine Sticky Rice (2024)

FAQs

Is jasmine rice good for sticky rice? ›

To keep things authentic, we recommend using Mahatma® Jasmine Rice for this recipe but, you could try it with another long-grain variety like White Rice. Don't wash the rice before cooking, you need more starch in the rice so the rice sticks together properly.

The Secrets to Perfect Sticky Rice

Soak the sticky rice for in enough water to cover the rice. This softens the grain and the extra water helps add that fluffy texture. Soaking for 4-24 hours is a good range. After soaking, add a little salt before cooking for taste, about 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon.

Consider letting the rice soak in a pot of water before you cook it. Some people find that letting the rice soak in water helps it become stickier in the end. Try soaking it for 30 minutes to 4 hours. Drain the water once the rice has finished soaking.

Many recipes call for rinsing the grains before cooking but I think it's an unnecessary extra step; even when you rinse jasmine rice, the grains have a slightly sticky texture and cling together.

Next, grab your glutinous or sweet rice. You can't pull this dish off with regular rice, and we generally prefer the long-grain sticky rice varieties for their texture. It's super important to rinse and soak the rice before cooking, or it won't turn out right. Here are a few tips for washing the rice correctly.

Glutinous rice is essential to Asian desserts from Japanese mochi to Thai mango sticky rice, and its unique starch content requires a different cooking process than that of other types of rice.

White rice is the most common, but brown rice may have more health benefits. As a good source of several healthy minerals and antioxidants, brown rice may help prevent heart disease. On the other hand, white rice — especially sticky rice — provides fewer nutrients and may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Unlike classic white or wholegrain rice, sticky rice has a much higher starch content containing unusually high amounts of amylopectin and a very low amount of amylose. The high amylopectin in this case is what gives it its ultra-sticky quality.

To make sticky rice using regular rice, let the rice soak in water for at least 30 minutes before you cook it, which will help make it stickier in the end. Then, add 2 parts water and 1 part rice to a large pot. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat.

Place rice over a pot of rapidly simmering water (don't allow water to touch sieve) and steam, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove lid and flip rice over. Continue steaming, covered, for 10 minutes, until rice is translucent and glossy. Taste to make sure rice is completely cooked; it may take up to 10 minutes more.

Does too much water make rice sticky? ›

If your rice has absorbed too much liquid, the grains may have split and the starches may have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency.

How much water you need depends on your steaming setup. You want it to reach just below the lowest tier of the steamer or the steaming rack/ring. You need enough so that the water won't completely boil off and scald your cookware, but not so much that it'll touch the rice when it bubbles.

Japanese cooking traditionally uses a short grain rice and cooks it in a way that gives it a glutinous, sticky texture. To prepare it perfectly, it is important that the ratio of rice to water is correct and, as a rule, this ratio is 2:3.

Mushy or soggy rice is usually caused by two things: the rice is overcooked, and too much liquid is absorbed into the rice. When the rice overcooks and absorbs excess water, the grains can split open, increasing the starchy and sticky texture.

Jasmine Rice Water Ratio

The perfect ratio is 1½:1, which means 1½ cups of water per each cup of rice. Adapt the rice to your preference: For slightly drier rice, use ¼ cup less water per each cup of rice and to make it moister use ¼ more water per cup of rice.