Does it Pumpkin: Thai Sticky Rice

Fall desserts in America tend to be centered around apple and pumpkin-flavored breads, pies, crisps, and cheesecakes. Throw in a molasses or gingerbread cookie and you’ve covered most of the seasonal bases.

I’m not here to throw shade on the classics, but at ICE, we’re taking you outside of the box. Our recipes for Pumpkin Spice Bananas Foster Crêpes and Pumpkin Spice Latte Crispy Rice Treats share less traditional methods for weaving the "fall flavor" into new dessert forms.

But that’s not all we’re serving up! Plant-Based Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Chayanin “Nin” Pornsriniyom's new recipe pairs pumpkin with rice and coconut — bet you didn’t see that coming — in a gluten-free, dairy-free dessert that’s simple to make.

Her recipe is a twist on Thai mango sticky rice. Traditionally, to make this dessert, glutinous rice is steamed for a chewy texture, mixed with a sweet coconut milk sauce, and served with fresh mango.

But, Chef Nin's recipe dares to ask the fall-themed question on everyone's mind.

Does it pumpkin? 

Yes, indeed it does.

Chef Nin replaced the mango with kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin, to bring the fall flavor notes. This dark green squash has edible skin and a sweet yet earthy flavor, like a combination of sweet potato and pumpkin.

If you've never cooked with kabocha squash, know that it can be treated similarly to other winter squash: cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and then cook. Chef Nin recommends either roasting or steaming the squash to then add it to curries or stir-fries.

In her recipe, Chef Nin poached the Japanese pumpkin in a pandan sugar syrup until tender, infusing it with sweet, slightly floral notes while cooking.

Pandan is a common ingredient in Southeast Asia, often used as a flavoring in sweet applications. According to Chef Nin, the closest western equivalent to pandan, flavor-wise, is vanilla. The leaves of a pandan plant can be soaked in liquid to extract their flavor or they can be juiced, which will also add a bright green hue to the dish. 

The other elements of this dessert, the sticky rice and coconut sauce, are also elevated. Chef Nin added ground turmeric to the sticky rice to evoke the colors of fall foliage and enriched the coconut milk sauce with pumpkin spice.

Chef Nin’s Coconut Sticky Rice with Pandan-Poached Pumpkin is a delicious melting pot of Asian and American flavors. The soft chewiness of the savory sticky rice is elevated with sweet coconut sauce, and topped with poached squash. It’s a dessert that’s soft, sweet, warming, and, in my opinion, far cozier than any pumpkin pie.

The Plant-Based Culinary Arts program where Chef Nin teaches explores a variety of global cuisines. Find out more here.

Recipe

Coconut Sticky Rice with Pandan-Poached Pumpkin

Ingredients

Coconut Sticky Rice

• 2 cups Thai sticky rice, soaked overnight (This rice is also sometimes called glutinous rice. Make sure to look for long-grain rice specifically.)
• 5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Pandan-Poached Pumpkin

• 1 small kabocha squash, skin on, seeded and cut into wedges
• 8 cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 fresh pandan leaves

Spiced Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
• 2 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the coconut sticky rice:

1. Mix the water and turmeric powder, then add the sticky rice and soak overnight in the refrigerator.

2. The next day, drain the rice and rinse with water until the water runs clear. Set up the steamer and steam the rice in between two pieces of wet cheesecloth for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Mix coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pot and stir slowly while warming up the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
4. When the sticky rice is cooked, gently fold in the warm, sweet coconut milk until the rice is well coated. Let the mixture rest until the rice has absorbed all the coconut milk. Keep the rice under a damp cheesecloth to prevent drying out.

For the pandan-poached pumpkin:

1. Add water, both sugars, and pandan leaves to a large pot and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Add the wedges of kabocha squash, and bring to a simmer until the pumpkin is cooked through.
3. When the pumpkin is done, drain away the syrup and serve the pumpkin warm with the sticky rice.

For the spiced coconut sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together in a sauce pot and slowly bring up to boil while whisking. Once thickened, let simmer for three minutes. Serve on top of sticky rice and poached pumpkin.