Meghalaya Ja Stem Boiled Pork Sticky Rice Khasi Festival Meal

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice) — soaked 2 hours and drained
• 500g pork belly or shoulder — cut into large pieces
• 3 cups water
• 1 inch ginger — sliced
• 4 garlic cloves — crushed
• 1 tsp black pepper — coarsely crushed
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• For the sticky rice steaming:
• 1 cup of the pork broth from cooking
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Drain the soaked glutinous rice. Place in the cloth-lined steamer basket.
2. Cook the pork: place pork in a pot with 3 cups water, ginger, garlic, black pepper, turmeric and salt.
3. Bring to a boil, skim foam. Reduce to medium-low and simmer 35 to 40 minutes until completely tender.
4. Reserve the broth separately from the pork.
5. Set up a bamboo steamer or regular steamer basket lined with a clean cloth.
6. Pour 1 cup of the reserved pork broth over the rice.
7. The rice will steam in the pork broth absorbing its flavour.
8. Steam on medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is completely cooked through and sticky throughout.
9. To test: press a few grains between fingers — they should be fully soft and stick together.
10. Serve the broth-steamed sticky rice alongside the cooked pork pieces and a small bowl of the remaining broth for pouring.