1. Place the strainer under the running tap water.
2. As the water is filing up,
3. Use a pair of chopsticks to loosen up the rice. Be careful as the rice is still piping hot.
4. Slowly using hands when the temperature is cool to touched, to break loose all the remaining crumbs of sticky rice. The first run, the rice will feel a bit slimy and slippery.
5. Raise the strainer and pour away the warm water.
6. Repeating steps 4 & 5 until the rice is cooled to about the same temperature as the soaking water. I do this cooling steps for 2-3 times depending on volume of rice.
7. At this stage the rice will be rougher and loosen to its individual grains.
8. Cool and ready for next steps.
*The rice must be cooled all the way to the inside of the grain. If the rice is still too worm inside, the fermentation is turn moldy and turn sour later. Most people will lay the rice spread thinly and let it cool naturally or under ceiling/table fans. This would take much longer... And the result is not as good as the rice is still like sticky crumbs...
