Adventures in Thai Cooking & Travel
Roasted Rice Powder
Thai Roasted
Rice Powder
(Kao Kua)
by Kasma Loha-unchit
Text Copyright © 2000 Kasma Loha-unchit.
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See below for a recipe with Roasted Rice Powder
Roasted rice powder (kao kua): 
Available in small plastic bags
from some Southeast Asian markets, roasted rice powder is simply white rice that has been
dry-roasted until the grains turn a rich brown color, then ground to make a fine tan powder.
Tossed into spicy salads, it adds a pleasant toasted fragrance and flavor, while at the same time
absorbs juices to keep the salads dry. Ground roasted rice is popularly used in very spicy
northeastern-style salads.
If you are not able to find the pre-packaged powder, make your own by roasting white rice in a dry pan, preferably cast-iron, over low to medium heat, stirring frequently to evenly brown to a rich dark color. This takes about 10-15 minutes. If the grains are browning too quickly or unevenly, the heat is too high – lower accordingly. Slow roasting yields a more fragrant and less gritty result, as the grains brown not only on the outside, but cook through to the interior. The grains do pick up a lot of heat, so let cool before grinding to a fine powder in a clean coffee grinder. Hot rice can melt the plastic lid of your grinder.
I prefer using white glutinous rice to regular white rice for roasting, because it is more porous, cooks through easier and yields a less gritty powder. Roasted rice powder keeps for up to a year in an airtight jar in a cool place in the pantry.
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Recipe with Roasted Rice Powder ( Kao Kua):
Salads
Northeastern-style Chopped Pork Salad with Mint and Toasted Rice (Lahb Gkai)
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Text Copyright © Kasma Loha-unchit, 2000 in Dancing Shrimp. . All rights reserved.
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Page added 1 June 2005. Last updated 1 December 2005.