Editor's Note: Use this broth to make Andy Ricker's Het Paa Naam Tok (Isaan-style Forest Mushroom Salad) .
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This powder, made from toasted uncooked sticky rice, is used primarily in Northeastern food to add a toasty quality and subtle texture to salads, and occasionally in Northern food as a thickening agent. Its contribution is initially hard to pin down, but it's one you'd actively miss if it weren't there. Making it at home is beyond simple: it just takes patience and stirring. The only way to screw it up is to try to rush the process with high heat so the outside burns before inside fully toasts. The truly committed will toast over a low charcoal fire so the rice picks up a little smokiness.
Flavor Profile: Aromatic
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the rice in a bowl, add enough water to cover by an inch or so, and let the rice soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight. (If you're in a rush, you can soak the rice in hot tap water for as little as 2 hours.) Drain the rice very well, then lay the rice out on kitchen towels until it's dry to the touch.
Step 2
Your goal is to toast the rice slowly so the grains toast all the way through before getting too dark on the outside, stirring constantly so the grains cook evenly. Put the rice in a large dry frying pan or wok and set the pan over medium-low to low heat.
Step 3
Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is evenly golden brown. After 15 minutes or so, you should see the grains begin to change color. After 30 minutes or so, the grains will have turned light golden brown. After 45 minutes to 1 hour, they will be golden brown, close to the color of peanut butter, and have a very toasty aroma. Ideally, every grain will be the same color, but you'll inevitably have some grains that are slightly darker or lighter.
Step 4
Let the toasted rice cool slightly, then grind it in a spice grinder (or even better, in a burr grinder), in batches if necessary, until you have a powder with the texture of coarse sand or kosher salt.
Step 5
The powder keeps for several months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (not the fridge), though the flavor will begin to deteriorate after several weeks.
