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1
Rinse the rice briefly to wash off any dust.
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2
Place in a large pot and add about 6 cups tepid water.
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3
Cover and set aside for 10 to 12 hours to soak.
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4
(If you are in a rush, you can hurry the rice by soaking it in warm water: dont make the water boiling hot, just very warm, and reduce the soaking time to 4 hours.
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5
Longer soaking produces a slightly better texture.)
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6
Drain, then place the rice in a steamera conical or round sticky rice steaming basket if you have one (see headnote), or a regular Chinese bamboo steamer lined with muslin, cheesecloth, or a looseweave tea towel so the rice doesnt fall through.
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7
In either case, you need 2 to 3 inches of water in the pot under the steamer, and the rice in its basket must be above, not in, the water.
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8
A conical or cylindrical basket should fit tightly into the pot (so the steam cant escape around the sides).
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9
A regular steamer works best resting in a wok; otherwise, it should fit tightly over a pot of water.
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10
Bring the water to a boil.
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11
If you are using a Lao steaming basket, then just cover the top loosely (it will cook uncovered, but we find covering it makes it cook a little more quickly and evenly) and steam for about 35 minutes.
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12
If you are steaming in a wide round steamer, cover tightly and steam for 20 minutes; remove the steamer and use a wooden spoon to turn the rice over, then place the steamer back over the boiling water and continue to steam for about 15 minutes.
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13
The rice should be tender but still firm when done.
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14
Turn the rice out onto a counter or other surface and use a long-handled wooden spoon or spatula to spread it out and then to lift the sides in toward the center, to create a round lump of rice (this evens out the texture).
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15
Transfer to one or more covered baskets, or place in a bowl and cover with a well-moistened cloth to prevent the rice from drying out.
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16
Serve warm or at room temperature.
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17
STICKY RICE WITH CURED SAUSAGE: As the rice steams, flavorings can be cooked or heated on top of it.
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18
In Jinghong, weve seen Chinese sausage cut into pieces, steam-cooking on top of a large batch of sticky rice.
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19
To try this, buy about 1/2 pound Chinese sausage, rinse it, and cut it into 1/2-inch lengths.
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20
Once the soaked rice is in the steamer, scatter the sausage on top, cover, and steam until the rice is done, as above.
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21
Serve the sausage separately, or mix it into the rice after steaming.
