Thai sticky rice is addictively chewy and delicious. The traditional method of making it presented here is straightforward, but does require preparation and special equipment.
Add 1 cup of Thai sticky rice to a large bowl. Rinse with water until the water runs clear.
Add water to the washed rice until it's approximately an inch above the rice (roughly 2 cups of water). Allow to soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.1
Fill the aluminum pot halfway with water and bringing it to a boil.2 Wet the bamboo steamer basket and cheesecloth.3 Pour the soaked rice into the cheesecloth and set it inside of the steamer basket. Place on top of the aluminum pot and put a lid on top of the rice so that no steam escapes. Allow to steam untouched for 40 minutes.4
Check for doneness by sampling the sticky rice. It should be translucent (not white) and chewy (but not hard). If it is not quite done, continue steaming until the grains are perfectly soft and chewy. Once the sticky rice is done, take it out of the steamer basket and serve immediately.
Notes
If the sticky rice is left soaking longer than overnight at room temperature, it will start to ferment. If you don't get around to steaming it after an overnight soak, it's best to throw it out and start again.
The water in the aluminum pot should not touch the bamboo steamer basket.
This prevents the bamboo and cloth from burning if flames from the stove/fire drift too far upward.
You can flip the sticky rice about halfway through the steaming process, if you like. This can help to ensure that the rice on the bottom and top are both equally done.