Nang Let, Khao Taen: Thai Sweet Crispy Rice Cakes with Cane Sugar Drizzle (ขนมนางเล็ด ข้าวแต๋น)
Author: 
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Thai
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: Makes 12 2¾-inch rice cakes
 
Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups raw Thai sticky rice
  • ½ cup watermelon juice, optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Bland vegetable oil (don't use peanut or olive oil) for deep-frying
  • 6 ounces panela, piloncillo, or jaggery
  • ¼ cup water
Instructions
  1. Soak and steam the sticky rice until thoroughly cooked. Mix in the salt (and watermelon juice, if used), and allow the rice to cool completely.
  2. Form the cooked rice into rounds measuring approximately 2¾ inches in diameter and ¼ inch in thickness (see post on what tools to use to achieve uniformity). It's best to do this right on a parchment-line cookie sheet on which you plan to sun-dry or oven-dry your rice cakes, so there's no need to transfer them after they have been formed.
  3. Sun-dry or oven-dry the rice cakes until they are completely free of moisture (see post).
  4. Place enough vegetable oil in your deep-frying vessel so that it is at least 3 inches deep. Set the fryer on medium heat.
  5. Once the oil reaches 300 degrees F, gently lower the rice cakes into it, one by one. Do not crowd the fryer. Flip the rice cakes back and forth until the kernels have puffed up and the rice cakes are light brown and crispy. This should take about a total of one minute. (Adjust the heat as necessary. If the oil is too hot, the rice cakes will brown before they have a chance to crisp up.)
  6. Once the rice cakes are done, fish them out onto a paper towel-lined cookie sheet. Let them cool.
  7. While the rice cakes are cooling down, prepare the sugar drizzle by placing the sugar in a small saucepan along with the water. (If you use small piloncillo, there's no need to chop them up, but if you would want to cut a big chunk of panela or jaggery into smaller pieces first.)
  8. Once the sugar has melted, quickly drizzle it in circular pattern on top of each rice cake. Allow the molten sugar to harden before consuming and storing.
Recipe by SheSimmers at https://shesimmers.com/2012/09/nang-led-khao-tan-thai-sweet-crispy-rice-cakes-with-cane-sugar-drizzle-%e0%b8%82%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%a1%e0%b8%99%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%87%e0%b9%80%e0%b8%a5%e0%b9%87%e0%b8%94-%e0%b8%82%e0%b9%89%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%a7.html