How To Make Toasted Rice Powder

Name: Roasted Rice Powder
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian

Roasted, or toasted, rice powder (also called ground roasted rice) is a favourite seasoning in many Southeast Asian cuisines, adding a unique nuttiness and crunchy texture to all sorts of dishes including salads, soups and curries.

Toasted rice powder is called khao khua (ข้าวคั่ว) in Thai and bột thính gạo in Vietnamese. Take care not to confuse the toasted version with simple ground rice, which is more finely milled.

The commercially prepared ground roasted rice available in Asian grocers is usually so finely ground that it tastes of nothing. It’s easy to make your own roasted rice powder at home from raw jasmine or white glutinous rice, and best stored whole and ground as needed for maximum flavour.

You’ll need:

about 70g (2½oz) jasmine rice to yield about ¼ cup of roasted rice powder
wok or frying pan
spice grinder or mortar and pestle

Here’s how to make roasted rice powder (scroll down for a step-by-step video):

Place rice in a dry wok or frying pan over medium heat and cook for about 5–6 minutes, stirring often, until lightly coloured and aromatic (it will smell like popcorn).
Remove from pan and set aside to cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Grind as needed in a small food processor or spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle to give a fine powder.

Now you know how to make roasted rice powder you can use it in Lemon-cured Tuna with Herb Salad and Asian Warm Beef Salad.