Toasted Rice Powder Recipe
This common ingredient in the Northeastern Thai cuisine lends a crunchy texture and smoky-nutty flavor to dishes like larb, namtok, tom sab and the wonderful jaew dipping sauce. Its quality is best when freshly made, and you can easily make it in 20 minutes!
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 1 /2 cup
Heat a pan or wok over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add sticky rice and stir continuously until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Then, remove the rice from heat and let cool completely.
In a blender or food processor, pulse the toasted rice into a coarse powder. If using a mortar, pound the rice with a pestle in it. When done, there shouldn't be any large grains left, but the powder shouldn't be too fine either.
Use the powder immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Toasted rice powder lasts longer than 2 weeks but loses its flavor over time. It's best to make it right when you need it because that's when its flavor is the strongest.
Also, for dishes like larb and namtok, it shouldn't be added when the meat is still very hot because that will cook the rice powder and cause it to lose its crunchy texture.