How to make Isaan Thai Khao Lam | Sweet Sticky Rice Dessert Cooked in Bamboo

Khao Lam Isaan Thai Recipe ข้าวหลาม and some Thai Vocabulary too

Background

Khao Lam ข้าวหลาม or better known in English as sweet sticky rice cooked in Bamboo tube was part of the standard diet in the North Eastern and Northern parts of Thailand. Named Khao Lam the name translated means, ‘khao’ – rice and ‘lam’ – cooking inside bamboo stems.

Comprising of rice, black beans, coconut milk, sugar and a little salt the sticky sweet rice is now very popular across the whole of Thailand. Khao Lam is available with both white and red rice.

Khao Lam Recipe

1/ Soak your rice

2/ Boil your black beans

3/ Add rice, beans, mild sugar, coconut milk and salt into the bamboo

4/ Cook on a metal rack over hot charcoal, turn to cook evenly

Khao Lam bamboo rice can be bought in many locations, markets, fairs and temples or often from travelling salespeople driving around on motorcycles or trucks. The dessert comes in two forms, either with the bamboo unbroken, the vendor will break the hard shell of the bamboo for you; or as is more often the case now, this is sold with the hard shell already removed.

With a sweet taste of coconut and grilled bamboo, this can be a most enjoyable treat. We highly recommend you try this. Only one caution, if just cooked it can sometimes be very hot, be careful.

Vocabulary

ข้าวหลาม  /kâao-lǎam/ = Khao Lam

ข้าวเหนียว /kâao-nǐao/ = sticky rice

กระบอกไม้ไผ่ /grà-bɔ̀ɔk máai-pài/ = Bamboo tube

ถั่วดำ /tùa-dam/ = black bean

กะทิ /gà-tí/ = coconut milk

น้ำตาล /náam-dtaan/ = sugar

เกลือ /glʉa/ = salt

หวาน /wǎan/ = sweet

แช่ /chɛ̂ɛ/ = soak

ต้ม /dtôm/ = boil

I hope you have learnt something new and that you have enjoyed this blog.

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By Prae
Thai Language Teacher