Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding Recipe
Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding is a standard Thai dessert that is favoured by upscale stylish Asian consuming locations for its placing jet black shade. It’s exhausting to think about chances are you’ll make one factor so delicious that is basically, made with merely rice, water and sugar!
Welcome once more to the final word instalment of THAI WEEK, per week the place I’m sharing 3 recipes to make your very private Thai feast at dwelling!
On occasion, I like to do a recipe theme week. This week it’s THAI week, with three fundamental recipes to make your very private Thai feast at dwelling:
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Thai Yellow Curry – Created from scratch, that’s flavour you truly cannot buy in a jar!
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Inexperienced Papaya Salad – Good as side, however substantial ample as a starter.
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Black Sticky Rice Pudding (this recipe) – Dessert!
Black sticky rice is a form of glutinous whole grain rice used to make desserts in Thailand and a wide range of completely different South-East Asian nations. It has an eye-popping, pure ink-black shade, and when cooked has a nutty flavour with a creamy and sticky pudding-like texture.
Subsequently the title of this dish – Black Sticky Rice Pudding!
Whereas white sticky rice pudding stands out as the additional well-known Thai dessert, proper right here in Australia upmarket Thai and Fashionable Asian consuming locations are inclined to favour black sticky rice, for its distinctive and attention-grabbing look. It’s not all seems though – it moreover has a higher flavour!
Similar to Western puddings, modern fruit and a creamy sauce are the right tools to complete the dessert. Sticky rice puddings are steadily accomplished with good drizzle of coconut cream, and sliced tropical fruit of some type – usually juicy mango.
Rich nevertheless not cloying, and shining with the flavours of South-East Asia, that’s the quintessential Thai dessert!
(PS. Whatever the title, glutinous rice is unquestionably gluten-free. It is rice starch that is accountable for the stickiness. The reality is, this dessert may also be vegan, nut-free and lactose-free. This may occasionally merely be the one dish everyone on the planet can luckily have the benefit of!!! 😱🤣)
At its best, you solely need sticky rice, sugar, salt and water to make a extraordinarily delicious sticky rice pudding. Each little factor else merely makes it even larger, nevertheless stays to be totally non-compulsory!
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Sticky rice – Typically labelled “glutinous rice”, this rice turns into sticky when cooked which is what affords a creamy texture to this pudding. Black sticky rice has a ravishing nutty flavour already so we solely need water to cook dinner dinner it. See underneath for additional on sticky rice.
Uncover it in Asian and Thai grocery retailers, or on-line comparable to proper right here and proper right here (Australia).
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Pandan leaves – Acknowledged in English as screwpine, it’s a plant native to South-East Asia that seems very similar to a palm tree. The prolonged leaves are added to cooking for his or her coconut-like scent and flavour for every savoury and sweet functions – significantly truffles and desserts. Pandan could be utilized in powder sort, for wrapping points (usually steamed or fried), or just added whole into cooking liquids to infuse like we do on this rice pudding.
It’s purchased modern and frozen in Asian retailers and usually (🤞🏻) at Harris Farms in Sydney & Queensland.
Can’t uncover it? Go away it out. This dish stays to be worth making with out it!
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Palm sugar – Extracted from palm bushes (wait, did the title give it away?😂), this sugar is utilized in South East Asian cooking for its intense caramel sweetness. Substitute with brown sugar, ideally darkish brown sugar for larger flavour.
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Salt – A particular flavour in black rice pudding is a noticeable amount of salt. It’s not a dominant model, like Salted Caramel. Nevertheless chances are you’ll undoubtedly model it and it’s loads wished to steadiness the sweetness.
Elective toppings
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Coconut cream – That’s used to drizzle on excessive of the finished dish for serving. It not solely gives a ravishing contact of rich coconut flavour however as well as gives a reasonably seen flourish to an in some other case very black bowl of rice! Extraordinarily actually useful nevertheless not vital.
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Coconut flakes – Evenly toasted for a garnish. That’s non-compulsory!
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Current fruit (not pictured above) – Asian tropical fruits are basically essentially the most real choice. I used mango – a fundamental – nevertheless on account of it’s not mango season, I merely used canned mangoes which recently, are actually very, glorious! Totally different fruits which will go brilliantly are papaya, lychees, longan, durian (!!!), mangosteen, dragonfruit and so forth. If these are exhausting to produce, summer season stone fruit, melons and even sweet citrus fruits would even be fully stunning.
These toppings are purely non-compulsory. Black rice pudding is totally worth making with no toppings the least bit!
There are fully completely different sorts of black rice, a couple of of which are glutinous (sticky) and some which are not (comparable to Chinese language language Forbidden Rice).
The black rice used to make Thai Sticky Rice Pudding is black glutinous rice. Glutinous rice turns into sticky when cooked, which is the consistency you will wish to make this shiny, creamy pudding. You acquired’t get the similar end result with common non-glutinous rice, regardless of shade.
Proper right here in Australia, the most common black glutinous rice is from Thailand, though I understand it’s moreover grown inside the Philippines, Indonesian and completely different Asian nations.
Uncover it in Asian and Thai grocery retailers, or on-line comparable to proper right here and proper right here (Australia). It’s usually purchased labelled as “glutinous rice”.
White Sticky Rice (non-compulsory)
Humorous as a result of it sounds, together with black sticky rice the recipe moreover requires a small amount of white sticky rice. Most Thai black sticky rice recipes identify for a mixture of every black and white sticky rice on account of white rice is stickier than black rice, which gives the rice pudding a thicker and creamier texture, whereas the black rice has additional flavour.
Nonetheless, I have in mind the white rice to be non-compulsory. This pudding nonetheless has a extraordinarily stunning creamy texture even with out white rice. It’s merely barely larger with white rice!
It’s soooo easy! Soak → Simmer → Eat (psst! This elements among the finest!😂)
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Soak the rice for at least 4 hours, or in a single day. This ensures that the rice cooks by evenly. Must you skip this step, you’ll uncover that the floor of the rice grains turns into overly easy sooner than the inside cooks by.
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Drain the rice and shake off additional water.
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Combine with water – Place rice in a small pot with water.
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Pandan leaves – Fold the pandan leaves so they could merely match contained within the pot. Then tie proper right into a knot. This breaks the fibres and releases additional flavour into the rice.
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Simmer for half-hour on low heat, stirring almost repeatedly for the ultimate quarter-hour as a result of it thickens to ensure the underside doesn’t catch. The liquid will in the reduction of and thicken due to the starch inside the rice.
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Sugar – Add palm sugar and salt, then stir to dissolve. It will solely take spherical 30 seconds or so.
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Thickness – The black rice pudding must be thick, creamy and glossy as pictured above. Not stodgy and gluey! When spooned into serving bowls it must ooze gently, like good risotto.
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Serve – Ladle into bowls, then excessive with a drizzle of coconut cream (extraordinarily actually useful), toasted coconut flakes (actually useful) and diced mango (a ravishing extra, nevertheless totally non-compulsory), if using.
That’s what the consistency must be like – thick and creamy, not stodgy!
In case you are questioning about my hierarchy of topping priorities (extraordinarily actually useful proper all the way down to totally non-compulsory), it’s on account of this rice pudding is so tasty even unadorned that I guarantee you will be tempted to eat it plain, straight out of the pot.
It’s exhausting to think about that of a rice pudding merely made with rice, water and sugar, isn’t it?? However it’s true!
That’s dessert! Lastly, a Thai dessert to share, after years of sharing Thai starters and most vital dishes. 🙌🏻
Together with the Thai Yellow Curry and Inexperienced Papaya Salad I shared earlier this week as part of Thai Week, listed below are one other Thai restaurant favourites to get you impressed:
And with that, Thai week is accomplished! I hope you really liked it as loads as I did creating, photographing, filming and … oh, who am I kidding? Everybody is aware of EATING the meals tops the guidelines!
Acquired a request for the next theme week?? Pop it inside the suggestions underneath! – Johnsat
Ingredients
- 1 cup black glutinous rice (aka black sticky rice) (Note 1)
- 4 tbsp white glutinous rice (white sticky rice) (Note 1)
- 4 cups water
- 2 pandan leaves , folded and knotted (Note 2)
- 1 cup (loosely packed) palm sugar (or brown sugar), grated with box grater (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (very highly recommended)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup shaved coconut , toasted, optional (Note 4)
- Mango cubes or crushed peanuts , for topping, optional
Instructions
- Soak rice: Place both rices in a bowl and cover with water (5cm / 2" above). Soak for 4 hours (up to 12 hours).
- Strain the rice and add it to a small pot or large saucepan.
- Pandan leaves: Add the knotted pandan leaves.
- Simmer 30 minutes: Add 4 cups of cold water. Bring to boil. Turn stove down to low so it's simmering very gently (small, slow little bubbles). Simmer 30 minutes (no lid), stirring frequently for the last 15 minutes and almost constantly towards the end (so the base does not catch).
- Consistency: Rice should be soft / fully cooked through, water reduced, and sauce should be creamy not watery (starch from rice thickens water).
- Add sugar: Stir in sugar and salt until it dissolves (~20 seconds).
- Ladle into bowls – it should ooze slowly, not be runny nor so thick it stays in a mound, see video for consistency. (If it's too thick, add a touch of water and stir).
- Toppings: Mix coconut cream with salt. Drizzle onto rice pudding. Top with toasted coconut and mango if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
1. Black sticky rice – Usually sold labelled as “glutinous rice”, this is a black Thai rice that becomes sticky when cooked and creates a creamy sauce from the starch. Tastes nutty. Find it in Asian and Thai grocery stores, or online such as here and here (Australia).
White sticky rice – The white rice equivalent, does not have same nutty flavour as black rice but it is stickier. So black pudding traditionally uses a combination of both for the best consistency.
Despite the name, glutinous rice contains NO gluten and this dish is gluten-free – not to mention vegan, nut-free and lactose-free!
No sticky rice? Unfortunately there is no substitute. If you only have ordinary white rice, I would recommend making this Rice Pudding instead which is made with ordinary white rice. Use the COCONUT version (note 1) and omit the cinnamon and raisins, add coconut cream and coconut flakes for topping + mango for Thai version.
2. Pandan leaves – Herbaceous plant that looks like palm trees used in South East Asian cooking. Imparts a distinct fresh earthy flavour into dishes, there is no substitute. They are usually around 30 – 50cm / 12 – 20 ” in length.
To prepare just fold as needed so it fits into the pot, then tie a knot in the middle to hold it together and release a bit of extra flavour.
Sold fresh and frozen in Asian stores and sometimes (🤞🏻) at Harris Farms in Sydney & Queensland.
Best substitute – Kaffir lime leaves. Slightly different but distinctly South East Asian with similar tones. Use 2, crush in hand and drop into water.
Don’t have either? Be generous with the coconut cream topping. It adds a good hit of Asian flavour!
3. Palm sugar – Sugar extracted from palm trees that has a wonderful caramel flavour. It comes in blocks, and needs to be grated using a box grater so it will dissolve easily. Sold at large grocery stores in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms) and Asian stores.
Substitute with brown sugar, preferably dark brown sugar for better flavour.
“Loosely packed” means you spoon the grated sugar in but don’t push it down to pack tightly.
4. Toasted coconut flakes – Spread on tray and toast in an 180°C /350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until light golden brown.
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