Khao Niew Dum — Black Sticky Rice Dessert / ข้าวเหนียวดำ

Ingredients

• 320 g black sticky rice (khao niew dum), soaked overnight in cold water, drained
• 80 g white glutinous rice, soaked overnight with the black rice, drained
• 1 litre water
• 80 g palm sugar, chopped or grated
• For the finishing coconut cream
• 250 ml fresh coconut cream
• 1 tsp fine salt
• To serve
• 120 ml fresh coconut cream, additional, to pour over at the table

Method

1. 1
   Combine the drained black sticky rice and white glutinous rice in a heavy saucepan, add the water, and bring to the boil over high heat before reducing to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, stirring every 5–10 minutes so that the starch released from the grains is constantly lifted from the base rather than scorching and turning bitter. The dish is ready to proceed when the grains have burst fully open, the mixture has thickened to a dense porridge, and the colour is a uniform, deep purple-black — grey colour or any visible unruptured grain indicates insufficient cooking.
2. 2
   Remove the pan from the heat and add the palm sugar, stirring until it has fully dissolved into the hot porridge — doing this off the heat rather than over a flame gives you control, since palm sugar can tip the porridge from gently sweet to cloying in moments if it reduces further. Taste: the sweetness should be present but not sharp.
3. 3
   Stir the 250 ml of fresh coconut cream into the rice while the pan is still off the heat, so the cream folds in gently and its fat remains intact rather than splitting into greasy pools, which it will do if returned to the boil. The mixture will loosen slightly and take on a richer, more unctuous consistency. The porridge should remain thick enough to hold a slow ribbon when a spoon is drawn through it.
4. 4
   Combine the reserved 120 ml of coconut cream with the fine salt and stir until dissolved, keeping this portion separate and unsweetened so that it reads as a clean, savoury counterpoint against the sweet porridge beneath rather than simply blending into it. Taste: the salt should be clearly perceptible, rounding the coconut cream without making it taste saline.
5. 5
   Spoon the black rice porridge into wide bowls while warm, or allow to cool to room temperature — wide bowls matter here, as a broad, shallow surface lets you pour the salted coconut cream in a generous layer that stays visually distinct instead of sinking into a deep, narrow vessel. Pour the salted coconut cream over each portion at the table. The surface of the coconut cream should sit as a distinct white layer against the deep purple-black of the rice.