Chicken Stuffed Sticky Rice Bites
(Khao Niao Sod Sai Gai)

This is a Thai style “dim-sum” or snack food. This type of dish is often served as a "drink food" or snack along with beer.

We love sticky rice, but it is a heavy meal and you want to nap afterward eating it. Sticky rice is very popular in Northern Thailand, and is served with not only with the popular dessert of fresh mangoes and coconut cream, but along with barbecued chicken, Chiang Mai Sausages or as an appetizer or snack as in this recipe of stuffed sticky rice.

Ingredients
14 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, finely chopped ¼” pieces
1 egg
1 Tbs tapioca flour
2 Tbs ground pepper
4 spring onions
coriander finely sliced (cilantro)
10 oz cooked sticky rice
fish sauce (nam pla-Golden Boy is a good brand)
sugar
leaf lettuce
tomatoes
fresh Thai chile pepper (phrik khee nu or Phrik chee fa)
pineapple for serving

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, tapioca flour and all the seasonings together with the spring onions and coriander. Shape this mixture into ½” bals like small meatballs.

Now take sticky rice and form a layer all around each little meat balls. Sit these on a tray to keep them separate.

These will be steamed in a steamer. I use a bamboo steamer placed over boiling water in my wok. Line the steamer with cabbage or chard leaves with a little peanut oil brushed over the leaf top surfaces.

Place the rice covered meatballs on the leaves but do not allow them to touch each other as they will stick

Bring wok water to a boil, cover steamer and steam for 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot on a lettuce lined plate with a dipping sauce in the center. You can also serve carrots, sweet pepper slices, celery, cabbage, daikon, and other fresh raw vegetables arranged on this plate. Serve a dipping sauce such as Nam Phrik.