Laotian grilled rice skewers (khao jee)

Skewers of pork or chicken mince might be more widely known, but these skewers wrapped with freshly cooked rice are just as soft and smoky-flavoured.

• makes

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 300 g (1½ cups) glutinous rice
• salt, to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Soaking time: 6 hours

Instructions

1. Place the rice in a large bowl and pour over enough cold water to cover it by at least 7-8 cm. Soak for 6 hours or overnight. The longer you soak the rice, the softer the texture.

2. Drain the rice, then transfer to a steamer basket lined with muslin cloth or a clean kitchen cloth. Season lightly with salt. Cover and steam for 30-45 minutes. The longer you steam the rice, the softer it will be. When making a larger batch of rice, steam in two batches or steam for longer. Remove from the heat and keep covered while you shape it to prevent it from drying out.

3. Preheat a charcoal barbecue or hot plate. Have a bowl of cold water ready to cool your hands off while shaping the rice. While still hot, break off a handful of rice and roll into a cylinder. Run a soaked skewer lengthwise through rice and repeat until all the rice is skewered. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally until lightly brown all over. Brush the skewers with beaten egg on all sides and grill for another couple of minutes or until golden and crisp all over. Serve warm.

Diana Chan and guests explore the flavours of Asia from her Melbourne home in the second series of Asia Unplated.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.