Is it possible to dehydrate and rehydrate sticky rice?

[Terry Morris]

I tried this figuring it would probably not work due to the very sticky nature of glutinous rice, but I dearly love the stuff so I gave it a try. What I came up with was more like a very chewy crunchy fruit leather type candy. Yummy, but you better have strong teeth

Next I tried a batch with coconut milk and sugar mixed in with the rice and then dried. That was even tastier, though its questionable about how long it will last, due to being a bit oily and never drying all the way out. In fact i am eating this stuff up faster the the beef jerky and I am not yet on the trail.

So far I have not been able to rehydrate the sticky rice or the coocnut sticky rice stuff in a way that would give me anything resembling a bowl of sticky rice.

Has anybody found a way to do this? It sure is good with Asian food.

Has anybody found a way to do it?

[Laurie Ann March]

I've had good luck rehydrating rice but sadly sticky rice never seems to come back nice and sticky. Basmati, bamboo, jasmine and other rices do better dried and rehydrated. If I really want sticky rice I just make it fresh on the trail. I know that is a little heavier but sometimes it is worth it, especially on longer trips.

[Terry Morris]

Laurie how do you cook it on the trail? My recipes all call for steaming it in a basket. Does boiling work?

[Laurie Ann March]

While steaming is better and my preferred method at home it would mean another piece of gear on the trail so I don't bother with the steamer.

I haven't made the effort to actually time this so these are only approximations. Next time I make it on the trail I will actually time it. Keep in mind I haven't tested this at a high altitude either. This also isn't good if water is limited and you are a good distance from the source… you need a bit of water for the rinsing.

Basically what I do is rinse the rice, drain it and rinse it again. I repeat until the water is clear, drain it again and then let it sit for about 20 minutes so the air can dry it a little (I use this wait time to set up my tent and such). Then I cook the rice (1 part rice to 2 parts water) until all the liquid is absorbed (usually 15 minutes or so). Then remove it from the heat (leave the lid on) and rehydrate your sauce or veggies in the meantime. I usually let the rice stand 15 mins or so off the heat. Don't remove the lid until you are ready to eat it.

Sorry I don't have more specific timings. It is much better done in the bamboo basket though… and stickier.

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