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Lao

Sticky rice with jeow mak len

Non-vegetarian

ເຂົ້າໜຽວ ແຈ່ວໝາກເລັ່ນ · khao niao, jaeo mak len

Steamed sticky rice, the everyday staple of Laos, with a smoky dip of charred tomatoes, chillies, shallots and garlic pounded with fish sauce and herbs.

Sticky rice with jeow mak len is a Lao dip from Laos, ready in about 50 minutes and made with glutinous rice and tomato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
422

Plus at least 4 hours (or overnight) soaking for the rice.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the sticky rice

For the jeow

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Rinse the sticky rice (opens in a new tab) until the water runs clear, then soak it in plenty of cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Drain and steam the rice in a basket or cloth-lined steamer (opens in a new tab) over boiling water, flipping the mass once halfway, until glossy and chewy.

    Food safety: Cool leftover cooked rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; reheat until piping hot and only once.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile grill or char the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chillies, shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) over a flame or under a grill, turning, until blackened in spots and soft.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Peel the shallots (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) (leave some charred skin on the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and chillies) and pound everything to a chunky dip. Season with fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and salt and stir in the herbs.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Turn the rice onto a tray for a minute to let the excess moisture escape, then keep it in a covered basket. Serve with the jeow and cucumber (opens in a new tab), rolling the rice into small balls to dip.

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Laos · Well documentedLaos eats more sticky rice per person than any other country; jeow (dips) accompany almost every meal.Also popular in ThailandMore food from Laos
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Dips & spreads · Rice dishes · Side dishes
Cooking method
Steamed, Grilled
Taste
smoky, spicy (chilli heat), savoury, tangy
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Glutinous rice · Tomato · Fresh red chilli · Shallot · Garlic · Fish sauce
Techniques
Grilling · Broiling · Charcoal grilling · Boiling · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

422 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 267 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 89%
  • Fat 2%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy422 kcal158 kcal
Protein9.3 g3.5 g
Carbohydrate92.9 g34.8 g
Net carbohydrate87.6 g32.8 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.3 g2 g
Fat0.9 g0.3 g
Saturated fat0.2 g0.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium687 mg257 mg
Salt equivalent1.7 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
518 mg
Calcium
49 mg
Iron
2.5 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
64 µg
Vitamin C
30 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
42 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: cucumber.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Never boil sticky rice like ordinary rice — it must be soaked and steamed.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the soak: the grains stay hard in the centre.

Serve with

  • The base of any Lao meal, alongside larb, papaya salad and grilled meat.

Storage

  • Keep sticky rice wrapped and covered for the day; refrigerated it hardens.

Reheating

  • Re-steam or microwave briefly under a damp paper towel.

Variations

  • Jeow bong: A sweet-hot chilli paste from Luang Prabang with buffalo skin.
  • Jeow mak keua: Made with grilled eggplant.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Cucumber, sticks, for dipping (optional)1 piece · 300 g
Used in step 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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