If you're into Asian food or more specific Southeast Asian food, then you really have to try this steamed glutinous rice with turmeric and coconut milk.
If you have tried it already, then you know how uniquely delicious it is, right?
Well, today I'm going to show you how easy it is to make it.
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavour - Soft sticky rice but still with a bite to it, infused with turmeric and coconut milk for colour and flavour. It's usually under-salted because it's usually served together with other curries or sambal.
Level - Easy.
Diet - Gluten free.
Occasions - Whenever you want to impress your Asian food-lover friends and family. Also perfect for celebrations.
What Is Glutinous Rice?
Glutinous rice is also known as sticky rice. Why the name, you might ask, right?
It's because when you cook it, it'll become sticky due to its high content of starch. The cooked rice grains are not loose like basmati or jasmine rice, for example.
It's widely consumed in Asia or more specific in Southeast Asia. And you know what? You can use it in both sweet and savoury.
In savoury dishes you usually serve it together with some curry like this delicious chicken or beef rendang or even sambal.
Sweet dishes or desserts are like my glutinous rice with pandan custard and mango sticky rice.
This particular steamed glutinous rice with turmeric is always served in celebratory events in my home country Malaysia. The thing is it's too delicious that I don't wait for any events to serve it in my house! I mean, why would you?
Lets Talk Ingredients
Glutinous rice - It's very white in colour and the grain is wide and short. Like I mentioned before, it's also known as sticky rice. Unfortunately there's no substitution for this rice.
Turmeric - Soaking the glutinous rice in turmeric and water is what's going to give our rice its beautiful natural yellow colour and flavour. You can also use fresh turmeric. Using a mortar, just bash 1 inch (2.5 cm) into a paste and use it the same way as indicated in the recipe below.
Coconut milk - Fresh or canned works great. No worries.
Do I Need To Soak The Rice?
Yes, you do.
Glutinous rice takes longer to cook so soaking it will cut the cooking time shorter. In this particular recipe, soaking the rice with turmeric and water will also naturally dye it to a beautiful yellow colour.
How Long Do I Need To Soak The Rice?
What I always do, and how my mother always did it, is soaking the glutinous rice the night before. This way you just get it out of the way and by tomorrow it's already ready when you want to cook it for lunch.
If you didn't plan earlier or forget, no worries. You can soak it for 4 hours only. Just know that the colour might be not as beautiful bright yellow and you might need to steam it longer.
Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Steamed Glutinous Rice With Turmeric
Ingredients
To Soak
- 2 cups glutinous rice (370 gr)
- enough water to cover until 1 inch (2.5 cm) over surface
- 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
To Steam
- ½ cup coconut milk (125 ml)
- ½ cup water (125 ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
Soaking
- Into a bowl, add in glutinous rice, turmeric powder and water. Mix everything together with a spoon. Leave to soak overnight or 8 hours.
Steaming
- Into another bowl, add in coconut milk, water and salt. Mix until salt is dissolved and set aside.
- Prepare your steamer on high heat (using pot, bamboo steamer or electric steamer). Drain the glutinous rice and gently place it in a steamer basket. Steam for 15 minutes or until half cooked.
- Carefully remove the basket and pour the half cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture. Using a spatula, gently mix everything well until the mixture is fully absorbed.
- Place the glutinous rice back in the steamer basket and steam for another 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Serve hot with any curry or sambal.
How To Store
- Keep in an airtight container, in the fridge. Best consumed within 3-4 days. Reheat in microwave or on medium heat in a steamer for a few minutes.
- You can also freeze it up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and reheat as mentioned above.
Originally published on Aug 16, 2017. Updated with improved text, recipe and pictures on Apr 7, 2021.
Linda Hassan says
Bea I made it and my mother praised me for it!!
Thankssssssss!! Lots of love from Malaysia!
Linda Hassan says
I love pulut kuning!!!
Thank you for sharing because now I can make it myself.
Bea says
It's super easy to make, hope you'll give it a try. Thank you Linda!