4 Tips on How to Reheat Sticky Rice
From sushi to rice pudding, the use of sticky rice is widespread. Especially in Asian households, there is not one place that cooks a single portion of rice. There are leftovers ALL the time and that’s perfectly normal, provided that you know how to reheat the sticky rice.
Sticky rice, which is also known as sweet rice, has to be heated with care because it sticks together so easily.
Whether it’s leftover from last night’s dinner, or freshly made, try one of these four ways to enjoy it again!
Related post: How to Reheat Rice Noodles: The Perfect Way
Different Methods to Reheat Sticky Rice
To remedy all the confusion or dilemma about reheating the sticky rice, I have listed out the BEST ways that you can follow to reheat your leftover sticky rice perfectly.
#1 In the Rice Cooker
Yes, this is the easiest and likely the best way you can reheat your sticky rice. Not only do they come in handy, but they also work perfectly well in reheating the leftovers too! Simply follow these steps:
- Transfer all your leftover sticky rice to your rice cooker and sprinkle some water on top.
- Set the rice cooker to the warm settings and let your rice stay in that mode for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the leftover batch of sticky rice to the new batch and let it warm up. (This alternative is only effective if you don’t have a lot of leftovers)
#2 In the Microwave
Microwave and rice go hand in hand. While there are a number of food items that aren’t ideal for reheating in a microwave, you wouldn’t complain about the same when it comes to sticky rice.
Using a microwave helps you reheat the rice in under a minute, letting you enjoy the leftover rice immediately without any extra wait!
- Transfer all your leftover sticky rice into a microwave-safe container or bowl.
- Sprinkle the top of the rice with some water to reinstate the moisture in the rice while it preheats.
- Cover the top of the container or bowl with aluminum foil, cling wrap, or a ceramic plate. This keeps the steam inside and helps retain the moisture and the stickiness of the rice.
- Microwave the rice for 2-3 minutes, checking it every minute to see if it is reheated enough.
#3 In the Pan
In case you don’t own a rice cooker, oven, or microwave, your only best option for reheating leftover sticky rice is in the pan. The process is pretty simple, it’s just that you have to be extra vigilant about it. Here are the steps to follow:
- Place a cast iron or non-stick pan over your kitchen hob on medium flame.
- Add 1-2 tsp of oil, lard, or butter to the pan and let it melt.
- Once the oil is melted, add the leftover sticky rice and break it into individual pieces using a spatula.
- To further restore the moisture and stickiness in the rice, sprinkle some water or chicken broth into the rice while it’s cooking.
- Mix everything well till it’s combined and each rice is covered in the broth and the oil.
- Keep your eyes on the rice to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you find the heat becoming too high, reduce the flame to low and keep mixing the rice in the pan to ensure it reheats uniformly.
- Once it’s done, take it out of the pan, spread it out on a plate, and enjoy it with your side dish!
#4 Use it for Fried Rice
Sometimes, the best way to reuse and reheat your leftover sticky rice is to make it into fried rice. This helps you add flavor to the sticky rice and even prevents any kinds of wastage. Fried rice is also perfect if you don’t have a lot of leftover rice. Here’s what you can do:
- Take a well-seasoned wok and add 1 tsp of butter or oil to the pan and let it heat up.
- Once the oil is hot enough, add minced garlic and chopped onion and sautee it for a few seconds before you add in your choice of protein.
- Once the protein is cooked, add your leftover rice to the pan along with a few chopped vegetables including carrots and beans.
- Add seasonings like salt, pepper, soy sauce, and a dash of white vinegar according to your taste.
- You can finish the dish with a little bit of sesame oil and chopped spring onions to add some crunch and freshness to the fried rice.
How To Freeze Leftover Sticky Rice?
If you like to prepare meals for the week and there is going to be a lot of leftover rice, freezing it is the best way to enjoy it later. The reason why you wouldn’t regret freezing the sticky rice is because there are a few viable reheating methods that you can blindly rely on.
For freezing the sticky rice, ensure that you always use an airtight container and store them for a maximum of 1-2 weeks only.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you revive sticky rice?
When put out of a bag after sitting on your shelf at home, sticky rice can turn into this unappetizing clump of goo instead of noodles fresh from the package! But there are ways around this problem (though they have their own issues). You can always ‘revive’ your sticky rice by using: a rice cooker, a microwave, a pan, or if you’re feeling creative, ‘transform’ it into fried rice!
How do you reheat rice without drying it out?
Lucky for you there are many ways! One option would be easy — microwave is your best bet if time isn’t something to worry about because cooking will take only five minutes max (depending on size of container you’ll be using).
How do you reheat sticky rice without a microwave?
If you’re craving some of your leftover sticky rice but don’t have access to a microwave, there are plenty of ways to heat it up! You can use a rice cooker or a pan to heat it up, or use it for a bowl of delish fried rice!
Conclusion
Reheating sticky rice isn’t as difficult as it seems. If you know the right ways and follow the steps as mentioned in this article, you shouldn’t have to worry about affecting the taste or even the texture of the rice. So, if you were throwing out your sticky rice all this while, chances are that you wouldn’t have to anymore.
In case you run out of food to eat with the leftover sticky rice, you can always convert it into some delectable and flavorful fried rice too!