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Plate of mango sticky rice: coconut sticky rice with ripe mango slices, garnished with sesame seeds and a drizzle of coconut sauce.

Thai Mango Sticky Rice ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

I have loved this since I can remember. My mother and her sisters made it at home and at my grandmother's house and we found it at every market we ever visited. Sweet coconut rice and bright juicy mango, the coconut cream drizzled over the top, toasted sesame seeds for texture. A treat for any time of day, no occasion needed. What I remember is the smell of the coconut milk going into the warm rice and the bright yellow of the mango alongside it. Make this for someone you love or make it just for yourself. Both are completely right.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert, Snack, Tradional Thai Sweets
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4 servings
Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups of glutinous sticky rice
  • 1 1/4 cups of canned coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch optional, for thickening
  • 2 ripe mangos peeled and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds or mung bean for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and Soak the Rice:
    Rinse the sticky rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best results.
  • Steam the Rice:
    Drain the rice and steam it. You can use a traditional bamboo steamer or a modern steamer. Line the steamer with cheesecloth or parchment paper, spread the rice evenly, and steam for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and translucent.
  • Prepare Coconut Sauce:
    While the rice is cooking, prepare the coconut sauce. In a pot, combine 1 cup of coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. If using tapioca starch, mix it with the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk and add it to the pot, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Mix Rice with Some Coconut Sauce:
    Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a mixing bowl. While still hot, mix the rice with about half of the coconut sauce. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the sauce and become flavorful.
  • Serve:
    To serve, place a portion of the sticky rice on a plate. Arrange the sliced mango around or on top of the rice. Drizzle the remaining coconut sauce over the rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds or mung beans.

Notes

Rice Preparation: Properly rinsing and soaking the sticky rice is crucial. This process removes excess starch and ensures the rice cooks evenly and achieves the desired sticky texture.
Soak the rice. This is the instruction that stands before everything else. Glutinous rice that has not been soaked long enough will steam unevenly and the center of each grain will remain firm no matter how long it is in the steamer. Four hours is the minimum. Overnight is better. The soaking requires nothing from you except time. Plan ahead, put the rice in water the night before, and the next day the hardest part of the recipe is already done.
Fold the coconut milk into the rice while both are warm. This is the step that determines whether the rice absorbs the coconut milk or simply sits in it. Hot rice with warm coconut milk folds together and the milk is drawn into each grain as the rice rests. Cold rice with cold coconut milk produces a bowl of rice sitting in liquid that never fully integrates. Warm everything. Fold immediately. Cover and rest for fifteen minutes. Open to rice that is fully coconut-sweet all the way through.
The salt in both the rice mixture and the sauce is not a mistake and should not be reduced. The sweetness of mango sticky rice recipe comes into full focus because of the salt alongside it. Without salt the sweetness is flat and the dish tastes less like itself. Half a teaspoon in the rice mixture and a quarter teaspoon in the sauce. Trust the amount. Taste it and you will understand why it is there.
The mango must be ripe. A firm mango alongside sweet coconut rice is two separate things sitting on the same plate. A ripe mango alongside sweet coconut rice is a complete dish. Buy the mango a day ahead if needed and let it ripen at room temperature. The stem end should smell fragrant. The flesh should yield slightly when pressed. That is the mango you want.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 400kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 5gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 300mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30g
Keyword Mango Sticky Rice, Sticky Rice, Mangoes
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