Khao Kob

Khao Kob (Lao) or Khao Taen / Nang Led (Thai) are crispy rice crackers made from dried sticky rice that dried, fried, and topped with a drizzle of caramel. The crackers were born from a means to preserve excess sticky rice but have become a beloved treat due to their delicious taste and portability. Nowadays, they have become a staple festival food item.

The original version is simple and only requires sticky rice and sugar for topping. In recent years, watermelon juice has been added to the sticky rice for a sweeter taste. Today, I’m taking it one step further by using strawberry juice and drizzling with melted chocolate. My version of these rice crackers has a subtle hint of sweet strawberry that somehow seems to be accentuated by the semi-sweet chocolate.

Notes:

Original Version – to make the original version, after steaming the sticky rice, transfer into a bowl. You can cover the bowl with plastic wrap to trap the steam, which will help break apart the rice. Or add a tablespoon of clean filtered water into the bowl to help moisten the rice. Shape them. Dry them. Fry them. Easy as that.

“Like sticky rice that has been steamed” – The Southeast Asian equivalent of the western idiom of “two peas in a pod” is “Like sticky rice that has been steamed.” Like the rice, they are inseparable, which is why trapping the steam or adding the water/juices helps break them apart. The goal is to try to keep the cooked grains of rice whole. I typically try to fluff the rice as I mix in the liquid and make sure the grains are coated. Don’t smash or mash the rice as the smashed rice will not puff properly, resulting in hard and chewy rice crackers.

For this recipe I used Sanpatong Brand Sticky Rice.

Molds – typically the rice crackers are hand shaped into circular shapes. But I used cookie cutters to shape these for consistency. The cookie cutters are 2.5-inch circle and 3-inch heart.

Drying – traditional drying method is to dry them in the sun for a couple of days. But with outside temperatures swinging from warm to cold and yellow pine pollen floating everywhere, I prefer the controlled methods. Note that each oven and dehydrator are different and drying times will vary depending on size of the crackers and machine used. End result that we’re aiming for is to get the rice to be completely dried otherwise; the undried rice will not puff properly. My preferred drying method is using the dehydrator since it does not tie up the oven for hours on end.

Make ahead – the original unfried rice crackers are good nearly forever after they are dried. For flavored ones, they will last for maybe a few weeks. They may lose their flavors/aroma over time. Store them in airtight containers until you’re ready to fry them.

Khao Kob Nam Strawberry

Yields: 26-30 crackers

2 cups (~450g) uncooked sticky/ sweet rice
3-4 (125g) strawberries
¼ cup (60 ml) water

Neutral oil for frying

Topping:
½ cup (100g) brown sugar or palm sugar (crushed/shaved)
¼ teaspoon salt

And/or 2-4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Rinse the sticky rice until water runs clear. Soak for at least 4 hours. Drain then steam for 15-20 minutes, making sure to stir and redistribute the rice at least once for even cooking.
2. While the rice is cooking, clean the strawberries. Remove the green top and cut into quarters. Blend with water and set the juice aside.
3. When the rice is done steaming, transfer into a bowl. Add half of the strawberry juice and stir to incorporate. The rice will slowly absorb the juice. Add the remaining strawberry juice and stir again to incorporate. Try not to crush the rice during this process.
4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently press the rice into cooking cutter molds and arrange the rice patties about 1 inch apart. If the rice is compressed too much at this point, it may result in extra crispy, rather than puffy crackers. Wet your hands in clean water if your hands get too sticky.
5. Let the sticky rice patties dry completely. This can be done using various methods. One of which is baking at the lowest temperature (mine is 170℉) for 4-6 hours. Transfer onto a wire rack after they develop a crust (after an hour or so), this will allow better circulation. Make sure to turn for even drying. Alternatively, dry using a food dehydrator set to 115℉/45℃ for 8-10 hours, turning and rotating the trays as needed to promote even drying.
6. Heat oil to 350℉. Fry the crackers for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size. They will puff up and float. Make sure to turn for even cooking. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a paper towel lined plate.
7. To make the caramel, add sugar and salt to a pan and heat over medium low heat until the sugar has melted and looks caramel-like. Drizzle over the fried and cooled rice crackers.
8. To make chocolate drizzle, heat chocolate chips in the microwave on high at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until it has melted. Transfer into a sandwich bag or piping bag. Cut the corner end and pipe onto the crackers.
9. Enjoy!