The Best Sticky Brown Rice Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to sticky rice? ›

The key to sticky rice is to not rinse the rice — this washes away the starch dust that allows the rice to clump. 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.

It's not as easy to achieve sticky brown rice because the bran layer is a natural barrier with the starch required to make the rice sticky.

Build flavors early on!

Ginger and garlic both make for exceptional brown rice. If you're going the spice route we love turmeric, cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika with brown rice. Try adding some of these spices to the pot as you cook your aromatic vegetables. Cook in a flavorful liquid.

Its distinctly chewy texture and sweet or floral flavor make it perfect as a side dish for rich meat dishes, but it can be turned into pudding for desserts or breakfast dishes. We also love stuffing it into dumplings or forming it into rice cakes. In Japan, these cakes are called mochi and are left soft and chewy.

What makes it sticky? 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.

Amylopectin is a highly branched starch molecule that is responsible for making rice gelatinous and sticky.

For this technique, you'll boil your rice in an abundance of water for 30 minutes. Drain off the excess water, return the rice to the pot, cover, and let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Ta da! Perfect brown rice, every time.

Combine 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a small saucepan. Mix everything together with a spoon. This will be the seasoning for your sushi rice. It may also help your rice become a little more sticky.

Soaking is optional, but we recommend it! Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally-occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Add rice to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (1 cup rice + 2-3 cups water).

Add extra seasoning: cooking brown rice with salt is essential for flavorful grains, but you can also infuse more flavor by adding olive oil and butter, swapping in garlic salt, or adding spices such as cayenne, ground ginger or cumin.

What makes brown rice better? ›

Brown rice is a whole grain that still has the hull, the bran layer and the germ intact, allowing it to have high levels of fiber and other nutrients. White rice, on the other hand, does not have any of the aforementioned, which makes it less nutrient-dense, although enriched rice has more of certain nutrients.

With soy sauce – Plain brown rice, nutty and sweet, with a splash of soy sauce is a wonderful lunch.

If you cook rice that has a high amylose content, the rice grains will fully disconnect and remain untethered after they are cooked. In contrast, amylopectin molecules make rice grains stickier when the rice is cooked.

I love the chewy bite of glutinous rice that's so good with the savoury sauce, tofu, mushrooms, and some mustard greens. I finished it off with some roasted peanuts and chopped scallions for a super satisfying and flavour-packed rice meal.

Drain the water once the rice has finished soaking. Fill a large pot with 2 cups (450 milliliters) of water and add a few extra tablespoons of water. Using more water than you actually need will help make the ricer stickier and clumpier. Consider adding a dash of salt.

Tamari Sauce – Feel free to use tamari or soy sauce for a deep umami flavor. Asian Sesame Oil – Be sure to use toasted Asian sesame oil found in ethnic aisles of major grocery stores.

But I could really make it better by playing the proactive game before the rice gets stuck: “Adding a little oil or butter at the beginning of cooking will coat the grains, which will help keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot without making it mushy,” Rich says.