Mango sticky rice is a traditional south Asian dessert made using rice, mango, and coconut milk. It’s a type of sweet rice pudding that's enjoyed as street food and in restaurants. The rice is topped with coconut milk, giving it a subtle sweetness, and the fresh mango adds to this overall taste, bringing it's own flavor to the fore. It's a filling and rich dish that can be eaten as a meal in itself. It's a relatively easy dish to make, without much hassle or complication. So follow this most delicious dessert recipe and serve up Thai style sticky rice with mango, and impress your guests with this new dish.
Ingredients:
For the coconut rice:
- 200 gm dry glutinous rice, soaked overnight
- 247 gm full-fat coconut milk
- 50 gm granulated sugar
- 5 tsp sea salt
For the Ube:
- 4 tbsp ube halaya or ube spread
- 2 drops ube extract, optional
For the coconut sauce:
- 125 g full-fat coconut milk
- 30 tbsp granulated sugar, adjust to desired sweetness
For the cornstarch slurry:
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp room temperature water
Other:
- 2 large ripe mangoes
- Toasted coconut for topping (optional)
Directions:
- Wash the rice about three to four times, rinsing thoroughly and removing the starch. Keep washing till all the water is clear. Then let it sit at room temperature and cover it, letting the rice soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the water from the rice. Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper and lay out the rice on it. Steam for about 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked. It should look translucent and still be pretty chewy.
- In a pan, add the coconut milk and heat over medium heat. Then add the sugar and salt and stir occasionally. Let the mixture simmer until eventually it reaches a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat and continue cooking until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Then add in the ube spread, extract and mix it in thoroughly. The ube may not dissolve completely, and small chunks of it are fine.
- Now add the steamed rice to the pan. Stir it around and keep cooking until the rice has absorbed all the coconut milk. It will become thick and moist. This should take between four to seven minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it sit and cool for a few minutes.
- In the meantime, make the coconut sauce. In a pan on medium heat, add the coconut milk and sugar. Stir occasionally until it starts to boil. Once boiled, lower the heat. In a small bowl, add water and the cornstarch and mix until it dissolves fully. Transfer this mixture to the pan. As you stir in the cornstarch mixture, stir the coconut milk continuously. Then turn off the heat and keep stirring until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a small pot or container that’s ideal for sauces, preferably with a pouring spout.
- Peel the mangoes and cut them into two halves. Cut each half into two halves too. Then cut the quarters into thin strips.
- Divide the rice between as many serving plates as you need. Or place the rice in a bowl, pack it in tightly, and then invert the bowl onto the serving plate. You should have the rice in the shape of a dome.
- Divide the mango strips between the plates. If you're preparing one main serving dish, place the mango strips on the side, half of the strip leaning on the rice dome. Layer all the strips in this way, resting against the rice.
- Top the rice with toasted sesame seeds. To toast, simply place a pan on medium heat and add the sesame seeds to it. Cook on medium to low heat till it is roasted. Be careful to turn off the heat before it starts to burn.
- Drizzle the coconut sauce on top of the rice and mango strips, or present it on the side in a small pouring bowl.
- Serve warm.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- If you do not soak the rice overnight and just let it sit in the water for a few hours, then it will take much longer to cook in the steamer. So keep a sharp eye out according to how long the rice has sat in the water.
- The sticky rice and mango can be stored in the fridge overnight. It's best to eat it all within a day or two days at most, since the coconut cream will quickly go bad.
- Remember, in the fridge, the rice will harden. So place it in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle some water on the rice. Then cover it and microwave for about 40 seconds. You’re essentially making it cook in its steam.
- The ube is optional and your sticky rice with mango will taste good even without the ube spread and extract.