Fermenting rice sounds like a long process, but it really takes very little time at all.
Once you ferment rice, you are actually making a specific dish. A fermented rice dish is known as tapai, which can also be referred to as tape. It's an Asian-inspired food that can add something just a little more interesting to your plate, specifically to the side dishes that you offer your family at dinnertime. Making a fermented rice dish is not complicated, but you will need some specialized ingredients to make tapai. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Pour one gallon of water into a pot. Add two cups of sticky rice.
2. Wait overnight, allowing the sticky rice to soak in the water.
3. Add the rice to a steamer and steam-cook it for 45 minutes. Wait until it's cool enough to touch.
4. Mix in two tablespoons of ragi yeast, which comes in tablet form and must be crushed. Be sure the rice is cool to the touch all the way through, ideally at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive heat will kill the yeast.
5. Pour ½ a cup of sugar into a small container of water. The exact ratio is not important. The sugar helps the rice ferment faster.
6. Place about a two-inch packed layer of rice into a glass jar. Use a spoon to add a small amount of the sugar water. Continue packing in layers of rice and sugar water until the jar is full.
7. Seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator. After two days, it will be fermented rice; and after four days, the full amount of flavor comes through.
Tags: fermented rice, fermented rice dish, rice dish, sticky rice, sugar water