Cambodian bai treap is a sweet rice dessert featuring chewy glutinous sticky rice, coconut and sugar garnished with sesame seeds.
This Khmer dessert is made of steamed sticky rice, sugar, coconut milk, shredded coconut and topped with sesame seeds. Traditional Southeast Asian desserts are often less sweeter than Western desserts and usually feature ingredients such as coconut, pandan, taro, mung beans and more. This recipe dives into a simple but fan favorite dessert that's super filling and delicious.
Ingredients:
4 cups sweet rice/glutinous rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened coconut shreds
1 tsp salt
Sesame seeds for garnish
Visual Instructions:
Soak the sweet rice/glutinous rice in fresh water for 1 - 2 hours.
This is the bamboo steamer that we like to use specifically for sticky rice but you can use any type of bamboo steamer or you can also prepare sticky rice in a rice cooker using the "sweet rice" function to cook.
Strain the water from the rice and place onto a bamboo steamer. Cover with a lid and steam the rice for 45 - 50 mins or until the rice is fully cooked. Once rice is cooled, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
If using a rice cooker, strain the water and add to rice cooker pot. Add 4 1/2 cups of water and cook on the "sweet rice" setting. Once the rice is fully cooked, cool and transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In a large non-stick pot, add coconut milk, sugar, salt and sweetened coconut shreds.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and stir until it becomes thick and syrupy.
Add the cooled sticky rice into the pot, breaking up chunks to evenly coat the rice in the sauce.
Make sure to break up any chunks of rice to ensure that every grain is coated.
Fold in sesame seeds. You can use any type of sesame seeds that you have on hand, often the original dessert uses the white sesame seeds but I prefer to use the black sesame seeds for visual reasons. (Doesn't the end result look like dragon fruit?!)
Place the sticky rice into a serving container packing it down into a cake. Allow to cool for at least 30 mins before serving.
Directions:
Soak the sweet rice/glutinous rice in fresh water for 1 to 2 hours.
Steam on a bamboo steamer for 45-50 mins or until rice is fully cooked.
Transfer the cooked sweet rice into a bowl to cool and set aside. Do not mix.
In a large non-stick pot add coconut milk, sugar, salt and sweetened coconut shreds.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and stir until it becomes thick and syrupy.
Add the cooled sticky rice into the pot, breaking up chunks to evenly coat the rice in the sauce.
Stir in sesame seeds.
Place the sticky rice into a serving container packing it down into a cake. Garnish with additional sesame seeds and shredded coconut.
Allow to cool for at least 30 mins before serving.
Enjoy!
