Recipe: The Slanted Door’s Sticky Rice with Sweet Potato

Photo credit: Ed Anderson

When we saw this simple recipe from Charles Phan’s new cookbook The Slanted Door we knew we had to share it. If you’re like us you probably don’t cook with black sticky rice very much and usually grab yams instead of sweet potatoes. So the pairing of these available yet underused ingredients in such a rich, simple was irresistible.

Hear Charles Phan this weekend on Good Food.

Sticky Rice with Sweet Potato from The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food

2 cups long-grain black sticky rice

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk

1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt

1½ tablespoons granulated sugar

1 medium sweet potato, peeled

1½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

1½ tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Serves 6

1. Soak the sticky rice in water to cover overnight, or at least 8 hours.

2. Set up a steamer. Drain the rice and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add ½ can of the coconut milk and stir. Cook the rice in a steamer over high heat until cooked through, about 50 minutes. Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl and add ½ teaspoon of the salt and the granulated sugar. Mix well and set aside.

3. Steam the sweet potatoes until they are cooked through but not mushy, about 40 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes into bite-size cubes and transfer to a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, remove from the heat, and set aside.

4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the remaining coconut milk and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Gently heat, stirring until the saltis dissolved.

5. To serve, spoon about ½ cup of the sticky rice into a bowl and top with the coconut milk and a few sweet potato cubes. Serve warm.