Recipe

Num Bai Treap

Name: Num Bai Treap
Prep time: 200 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 245 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 500 g Rice glutinous sticky rice; 400 g Coconut milk thick, full-fat; 140 g Palm sugar finely chopped if firm; ¼ tsp Salt; 2 leaves Pandan leaves tied in a knot; 2 ½ tbsp Sesame seeds white sesame seeds

A kitchen-tested Num Bai Treap made by steaming glutinous rice with pandan, folding it through a reduced coconut and palm-sugar syrup, then pressing and cooling it before cutting into diamonds. The total time includes a three-hour soak and one-hour cooling period.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 200 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 245 minutes
Dish: Num Bai Treap

Ingredients

Sticky rice

Coconut syrup

To finish

2 ½ tbsp Sesame seeds white sesame seeds

Method

Techniques, in order: Steaming

Rinse the sticky rice until the water runs clear. Cover with cold water and soak for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Drain well. (180 minutes)
Put the tied pandan leaves over the rice in a steamer. Steam until the grains are tender, glossy and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. (30 minutes)
Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Transfer them to a small bowl immediately so they do not burn. (5 minutes)
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, warm the coconut milk, palm sugar and salt over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently until the syrup thickens slightly. (10 minutes)
Add the hot steamed rice to the syrup. Keep the heat low and fold continuously until the syrup is absorbed, the rice is very sticky and the mixture pulls away from the pan. (10 minutes)
Lightly oil a shallow tray or baking dish. Press in the warm rice mixture in an even layer, then cover generously with the toasted sesame seeds. Cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (60 minutes)
Cut into neat diamonds or squares and serve at room temperature. (5 minutes)

Recipe notes

Allergens: sesame and coconut. The preparation time includes a minimum three-hour soak and one-hour cooling period; an overnight soak also works. Use thick, full-fat coconut milk and palm sugar for the intended caramel depth. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and bring them toward room temperature before serving.

Sources

Num Treab Bai , Flavourfully Good — https://flavourfullygood.com/glutinous-rice-cake-sesame-seeds/ (accessed 2026-09-01) — Publicly available reference for the glutinous-rice, coconut-milk, palm-sugar, pandan, salt and toasted-sesame preparation. Tasting Asia's English wording and tested method are independently written.
Tasting Asia Cambodia recipe-cluster test-kitchen record , Tasting Asia — https://tastingasia.com/editorial/test-kitchen/cambodia-recipe-cluster-2026-08-28 (published 2026-08-28) — Tasting Asia test-kitchen quantities, timings, yield and English recipe method.