coconut & cricket rice cakes with chilli & garlic sauce

These edible cricket rice cakes are ideal for sharing.

You will need

-1 wok (for deep-frying)
-Pestle and mortar/ food processor
-Mixing bowl
-Knife/chopping board
-Draining tray, kitchen roll (for draining oil from deep-fries)
-Rice steamer

Method

1.  Firstly, drain the glutinous rice from the water it is soaked in and mix with the crickets and lemongrass, then steam for 40-45 minutes in a rice steamer until cooked (it is cooked when rice turns translucent and is soft to eat). When cooked remove from the steamer and place in a mixing bowl to cool a little, make sure it is still warm.

2.  When warm add the egg, egg yolk, toasted coconut, red curry paste and the fish sauce, be sure to remove and discard the lemongrass chunks. Once all the ingredients are combined, squeeze them into roughly the same sized balls and flatten with the palms of your hand, leave aside to cool.

3.  Next make the deep-fried chilli and garlic oil. Begin by heating the oil in a wok to 160 degrees. Pound the garlic and the salt together in a pestle and mortar then deep-fry until golden and fragrant, remove and drain on kitchen roll. Repeat this process separately with the chillies, then the ginger and allow to cool. Once cool, pound the crispy garlic, chillies and ginger together in a pestle and mortar/food processor then add a little of the deep-frying oil to bind it all together, if needed add a little more salt.

The edible cricket rice cakes are best served straight away whilst they’re still hot, with the dipping sauce and a salad. Once made they can be refrigerated, or frozen but ensure to heat them thoroughly before consuming.