Vietnamese dishesSticky RiceSouthern Vietnamabout 1 hour cooking, plus 4 to 5 hours soaking the rice and 4 to 5 hours freezing
This is the golden balloon that turns up on restaurant banquet tables, crisp on the outside and hollow inside, and it goes with almost any dip. The whole challenge is getting the puff even, without the ball collapsing again.
About 10 minutes of firm kneading and smoothing gives a dough that is supple and sealed, because one open seam means no puff at all. The sticky rice is pressed into a mold and frozen for 4 to 5 hours before it is cut.
This batch weighs about 546g, at roughly 373 calories per 100g.
Method
Soak 300g glutinous rice and 90g mung beans for 4 to 5 hours or overnight until plump and soft. For a faster start, soak the beans in hot water for 2 to 3 hours.
Steam the mung beans for 10 minutes until soft, then mash them or blend until smooth.
Mix the mashed beans into the rice and stir in 36g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
Put the rice mixture in a pot, add 70ml coconut milk and steam for 40 minutes, making a hole in the center so steam rises through and the rice cooks evenly.
Knead the rice until the grains come together into one mass. Work in the 50ml cooking oil a little at a time, kneading and smoothing for about 10 minutes until the dough is supple and no longer sticks to the hands.
Press the dough firmly into a mold, wrap it in plastic and freeze for 4 to 5 hours, then cut into rounds.
Heat a pan of oil until very hot and slide in a round. As it rises, press gently with a ladle so it puffs evenly, fry until golden, then lift out and drain.
Tips
Smoothing the surface until it is completely sealed is what allows the ball to puff.
Stop before it goes too dark, as an overfried round loses its flavor.
The oil has to be very hot before the rice goes in, since cool oil soaks in and the ball collapses.
Gentle circular pressure with a ladle puffs both sides evenly.
The block needs a full 4 to 5 hours of chilling before slicing, as soft rice cuts crooked and puffs poorly.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.