Vegetarian puffed fried sticky rice

1. Soak the rice in lightly salted water for 4–5 hours and the mung beans in warm water for 2–3 hours, then drain both.

2. Steam the mung beans about 10 minutes until soft, mash until smooth, then mix with the rice and sugar.

3. Put the mixture in a steamer, pour over the coconut milk, poke a hole in the middle for steam and steam about 40 minutes until fully cooked.

4. Cool the rice slightly, put it in a plastic bag with 10 g of oil and knead about 10 minutes until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky.

5. Press the rice tightly into a cylinder, smoothing out every gap, wrap and refrigerate for 4–5 hours until firm.

6. Unwrap the chilled rice, cut into rounds about 2 cm thick and blot the surfaces dry.

7. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat until a small rice test piece bubbles steadily, then fry in small batches. Once the rounds float, press gently with a ladle, turn and fry until evenly golden; drain uncovered.

Tips

• Knead thoroughly and press without gaps so the pieces puff.
• Do not fry too dark or the flavour is lost.

Substitutions

• Rest the rice log 4–5 hours in the fridge, then cut it into 2 cm rounds¹². Knead thoroughly and press while frying²¹.
• Use 40 g sugar²¹. Already vegetarian as there is no meat filling; no animal fat is used.

Storage

Cool completely, keep in an airtight container in a cool dry place and eat the same day for crispness. The unfried block keeps in the freezer for 2 weeks.

• 748 kcalEnergy
• 14.4 gProtein
• 114.5 gCarbohydrate
• 25.9 gFat
• 7.7 gFibre
• 144 mgSodium

An estimate for reference only, not medical advice.