How to Use the Rice Basket on My Steamer

Steamer baskets are usually cylindrical or conoid in shape.

Bamboo steaming baskets are traditionally used to make the sticky rice found in Asian cuisine. They are integral to making shari, the vinegared short-grain rice used in sushi, and htoe mont, a traditional Burmese dessert cake. Basket-steaming is an efficient method for cooking rice, and bamboo is the ideal material for the basket. Steam flows easily through the bamboo latticing in a controlled manner, gently cooking the rice in moist heat as the water below it simmers.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups soaked glutinous rice, such as short-grain Asian rice
• Steamer pot
• Bamboo rice basket
• Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. Fill the steamer pot with 4 inches of water, and place over high heat.

2. Bring the water to a boil. Pour the soaked rice in the steamer basket, place it over the steamer pot and cover.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-high, steam the rice for 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the rice and steam an additional 15 minutes.

4. Remove the rice from the steamer basket, and distribute it on a sheet pan in an even layer to cool.

References

• "The Professional Chef 8th Edition"; The Culinary Institute of America; 2006
• Cook Asian Food: How to Make Sticky Rice -- Bamboo Steamer; 08 October 2009