An aromatic and versatile condiment with just 1 ingredient! Thai Toasted Rice Powder (khao khua) is THE addition you need for Larb and other Southeast Asian delights.
Why We Love This
Slowly roasting the rice in the frying pan fills the kitchen with a rich and nutty aroma – hinting at the flavour it will bring to your cooking.
This versatile ingredient not only adds flavour, but can be used to thicken soups, replace breadcrumbs in a burger and be the star in dishes like Lao Larb Gai.
What is Toasted Rice Powder?
Toasted Rice Powder, also known as khao khua (ข้าวคั่ว) in Thai, is an aromatic condiment made from dry roasting raw glutinous rice (also called sticky rice). It’s often used as a seasoning in dishes like chicken larb salad, or in condiments like Thai nam jim dipping sauce.
Most popular in Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and Laos, this is a staple pantry item that’s so simple to make at home. The Vietnamese version is known as bột thính and hidden away in famous dishes such as nem nuong.
The smell and taste is like popcorn but more toasty, and the optional addition of roasting it with herbs only adds to this.
If you’re looking for this at the Asian supermarket, it can also be labelled ground roasted rice or toasted sticky rice.
Khao khua is a great replacement for breadcrumbs in burger patties – try it in our Thai chicken burgers, Korean gochujang chicken burgers or Japanese beef burgers!
What You’ll Need
Just one ingredient!
Glutinous Rice – Look for glutinous or sticky rice at your local Asian supermarket. If you aren’t able to track it down, you can substitute with Jasmine rice. The flavour won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll work.
How to make Khao Khua:
- Place the glutinous rice in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
- Stir the rice every 10-15 seconds or use the pan-flipping technique. This helps move the heat around and cook the rice evenly. Note: If the pan starts smoking, turn the heat down to low. Continue cooking for around 10 minutes or until rich golden brown in colour. Allow to cool.
- Transfer to a mortar and pestle in small batches (or the whole lot in a spice grinder) and grind to your desired coarseness.
- Cook immediately in any dish that calls for toasted rice powder, or store for future use (see tips).
Wandercook’s Tips
- Storage – Keep in an airtight container in the pantry for a month or two, or pop in the freezer for 6 months to a year.
- Batch Grind – Grind the roasted rice in batches for a smoother powder consistency and less effort.
- Go for Golden – You want to finish with rich golden rice. If the rice goes black, it will taste burnt instead of nutty, and not enough toasting will leave you with a less aromatic finish.
- Watch the Heat – Keep your pan on medium, if it’s smoking a lot, bring that heat right down. Slow and steady wins the toasty race!
- Leftover Rice – If you have glutinous rice leftover, use it to make the popular Indonesian dessert – Seri Muka!
FAQs
You don’t need to. If you want to you can, just make sure after washing it’s first patted dry, then left to completely dry out again for a day or two before roasting.
Usually it’s good to add the powder into the dish once it’s cooled down, unless otherwise stated, to keep the texture nice and crispy. This works especially well in larb.
A mortar and pestle is the best tool for a finer powder, especially when done in batches. You can also use a spice grinder, although you may end up with uneven, coarse result.
Variations
- Add Herbs – You can add herbs such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and chilli for a more fragrant result.
Toasted rice powder ready? Pop it in these dishes:
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup glutinous rice also called sticky rice, Sub Jasmine rice
Optional (for extra aromatics):
- 5-8 Thai makrut / kaffir lime leaves
- 1-2 lemongrass stalks, chopped into 6 cm / 2.5 in pieces
Instructions
- Place the glutinous rice and optional: lime leaves and lemongrass in a medium frying pan over medium heat.1/4 cup glutinous rice, 5-8 Thai makrut / kaffir lime leaves, 1-2 lemongrass
- Stir the rice every 10-15 seconds or use the pan-flipping technique. This helps move the heat around and cook the rice evenly. Note: If the pan starts smoking, turn the heat down to low. Continue cooking for around 10 minutes or until rich golden brown in colour. Allow to cool and remove optional aromatics.
- Transfer to a mortar and pestle in small batches (or the whole lot in a spice grinder) and grind to your desired coarseness. Cook immediately in any dish that calls for toasted rice powder, or store for future use (see tips).
Video
Recipe Notes
- Storage – Keep in an airtight container in the pantry for a month or two, or pop in the freezer for 6 months to a year.
- Batch Grind – Grind the roasted rice in batches for a smoother powder consistency and less effort.
- Go for Golden – You want to finish with rich golden rice. If the rice goes black, it will taste burnt instead of nutty, and not enough toasting will leave you with a less aromatic finish.
- Watch the Heat – Keep your pan on medium, if it’s smoking a lot, bring that heat right down. Slow and steady wins the toasty race!
- Leftover rice – If you have glutinous rice leftover, use it to make the popular Indonesian dessert – Seri Muka!
Nutrition
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