1. Rinse 2 cups of glutinous rice in a bowl or pot until the color of the water turns from milky to clear. You might have to do this as many as 5 times.

2. Soak the rice overnight or for at least 10 hours. (This is the tip I got from the lady at the rice store. She told me this would make it soft and it works every time!)

3. Depending on the size of your pot or whether you're using a huad or metal steaming rack, add just enough water to boil without drying out over medium heat for 30 minutes. Make sure that the water isn't too high so that it doesn't touch rice. Then, boil that pot of water over medium heat. If using a huad, don't go for a very large pot because the bottom of the huad will touch the bottom of the pot, meaning some of the rice will be in the water.

4. Transfer the soaked rice from your container into the huad. Then, put the huad in the pot and cover with any pot lid you have that fits. If using a steaming rack, line the rack with a cheesecloth and add the rice on top of the cloth. Pat the rice flat and put the rack over the pot and cover with a lid. Steam for 15 minutes.

6. With the heat still on, put on oven mitts and open the lid. Then, lift the huad or steaming rack with two hands and gently toss to turn the rice at the bottom up to the top and vice versa. If you find this difficult to do, use a spatula to turn the rice instead. After that, cover the lid and steam for another 15 minutes. This step is to ensure that the rice will be cooked beautifully and evenly.

7. After steaming for 30 minutes, open the lid to check that the rice is all cooked. Then, turn off the heat and transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl.

8. Use the spatula to spread the rice so that it releases the heat. Then, transfer the rice to a sticky rice basket or your preferred container to serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature so it stays soft until ready to eat.