Easy Sticky Rice with Pandan Leaves and Coconut Oil

In the south of Vietnam, pandan leaves are fragrant herbs that the South Vietnamese people use for many dishes. The pandan leaves are not just seasonings that make the food more delicious, but they also have the effect of treating diseases as a medicine in traditional medicine. In the old days, modern medicine was not available, so our ancestors had to fight diseases with all the natural herbs and pandan leaves available to them.  I will try not to go any further into the medical field here because this is a cooking blog.  However, I really want to share some information about pandan leaves that is very useful. The pandan leaves binomial name (Pandanus amaryllifolia Roxb) belongs to the pineapple family growing into large green, upright sprays, about 1 m high, with a diameter of about 1 - 3 cm, branches. The leaves have a smooth texture, with a length of 40-50 cm, arranged in a trough shape, with a non-spiked edge, a light-colored underpost, with beautiful aromas, such as perfume, which is even more pronounced when it is dried. According to some studies, the pandan leaves are used to treat hypertension, support joint pain and rheumatism. Also, many people suffer from poor appetites, which lead to weight loss. Therefore, the easy-to-follow method of "pandan leaf" by boiling two pandan leaves before eating 30 minutes often can help you increase your appetite. The pandan water can help to reduce the feeling of anxiety.  In addition to the above treatment, pandan leaves are useful for overcoming hair problems, such as to remove dandruff and by shampooing hair regularly will make hair strong and shiny. With so many health benefits of consuming pandan leaves, I will share one easy recipe to make pandan leaves with sticky rice for breakfast. This is easy when using a rice cooker. I do not live near a Vietnamese supermarket; therefore; it is hard to find fresh pandan leaves which is best to use for making this recipe.  However, I bought frozen pandan leaves at H Mart, the Korean supermarket, which is good too.  With all the benefits for human health, I hope this recipe will contribute goodness to all people who like to live long and healthy lives.

Ingredients:

3 cups sticky rice

2 cups pandan leaves (about 7 leaves)

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbs coconut oil

2 cups water

1 cup coconut flakes

Equipment: rice cooker

Directions:

Place the pandan leaves in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups of water and blend until all leaves are finely chopped.  

Drain the liquid through a fine sieve. Squeeze out all the bright green liquid as much as you can.

Wash the sticky rice very well.

Place sticky rice in a rice cooker.  Pour all the pandan water into the rice.  Add salt and soak for a few hours or overnight.

After soaking for a few hours or overnight, add sugar and 1 tbs coconut oil with the soaking rice. Close the lid and turn the rice cooker to the on position.

When the rice is done cooking, use a fork or chopstick to flip the rice and add coconut flakes. Mix well.

Serve with more coconut flakes on top.  Enjoy!!