Sticky rice with mango, #1 Thai dessert
Sticky rice with mango is one of my family’s favourite dessert. There is something about the flavor and texture that makes it appealing to the masses. Sweet sticky rice soaked in coconut milk is paired with sweet juicy mangoes! What’s not to like?! No wonder it is the most popular Thai dessert outside of Thailand.
Thai cuisine emphasizes on balance of flavors. So much so that most of their desserts have a salty component. Mango sticky rice has sweet coconut rice topped with a salty coconut sauce. Chewy rice, mangoes, mung beans/sesame seeds provide different textures.
This mango sticky rice recipe is authentic in it’s preparation. No short cuts used in cooking the glutinous rice. Glutinous rice is steam cooked for the best chewy grains of rice! Read on to learn how!
Sticky rice with mango is..
- Naturally vegan and gluten free! Glutinous rice does NOT contain gluten.
- Looks beautiful
- Coconut milk lends a lovely tropical taste
- Has a wonderful texture
- Great balance of flavors
- Hard to go wrong
Check out my other easy dessert recipes like Strawberry granita and Easy almond flour balls
What is sticky rice?
Sticky rice, also known as sweet rice/glutinous rice (although it does not contain gluten) is a special kind of rice used in many regions across Asia. The grains look different compared to regular rice as they are opaque white. On cooking, the grains turn sticky and hence the name sticky rice. Sticky rice has a chewy texture upon cooking, it is this texture that made me fall in love with it.
Where can i find glutinous rice?
In North America, you can find find sticky rice in Asian grocery stores. Look for glutinous rice, sweet rice. Some regular grocery stores carry it too, in their Asian aisles. Can also be found online. (affiliate link)
In India, you can find the rice online. Glutinous rice is also used in a few North Eastern states. So if you have a friend from the North East, they may likely have some pointers if it’s locally available as well.
How to cook sticky rice?
Unlike regular rice, sticky rice is steam cooked, traditionally in a bamboo cone but any steamer works fine. The idea is to cook it, without bringing rice in direct contact with water. I have tried cooking it in a rice cooker, but I feel that when it’s not steamed it does not retain its chewy texture.
Before being steamed, sticky rice has to be washed well until water runs clear, and soaked in water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Soak for a maximum of 8-10 hours for the best texture. Place the soaked rice in a steamer rack. 1-2 cups of rice cooks in 20-30 minutes. You will know it is cooked when the grains turn translucent. On tasting they should be cooked through.
Can I make mango sticky rice using other kinds of rice?
Yes and no! You can use other kinds of rice but you will miss out on its signature chewy texture. If you can get your hands on it, I recommend using sticky rice. Traditionally, long grain glutinous rice is used in Thai cooking. The short grain variety can be used too.
In North America, you can find find sticky rice in Asian grocery stores. Look for glutinous rice, sweet rice. Some regular grocery stores carry it too. Check the Asian aisles. Can also be found online.
Which coconut milk to use?
Extracting milk from fresh coconuts would be the best option. I usually extract coconut milk from grated frozen coconut available at Indian stores. I have also used canned and they work fine. UHT coconut milk (affiliate link) that come in cartons work great too. In fact, UHT coconut milk taste better than canned. Do not confuse it with coconut milk that are sold refrigerated in cartons in non-dairy milk aisles. Those are diluted and I wouldn’t recommend using them here.
Further preparation method
Prepare sweetened coconut milk
Gently heat coconut milk on low heat with sugar/palm sugar/jaggery/coconut sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir till sugar dissolves. We are only looking for the sugar to dissolve, we don’t need to boil the coconut milk. Keep it warm till the rice cooks.
Mix cooked rice with sweet coconut milk
Sticky rice tends to dry out after cooking. It is good to transfer the rice into coconut milk soon after it’s cooked.
Mix hot rice with warm/hot coconut milk. Cover and keep aside. Take care that both the rice and coconut milk are hot/warm so that rice absorbs all the coconut milk. At first it looks kind of soupy but in 10-15 minutes, the rice absorbs all the coconut milk and turns glossy.
Prep Mangoes
Peel and cut mangoes. Make sure to use sweet varieties of mangoes.
Add Toppings
The sweet sticky rice is topped with a salty coconut sauce for a contrast of flavors. Traditionally it is also topped with crunchy mung beans. I use toasted sesame seeds instead as the topping.
Sticky rice with mango, #1 Thai dessert
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sticky rice, sweet rice, glutinous rice
Sweet coconut sauce
- 3/4 cup Coconut milk
- 1/3-1/2 cup Sugar, palm sugar, jaggery, coconut sugar depending on your desired sweetness
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Salty coconut sauce
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ½ tsp rice flour mixed in 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Wash glutinous rice until water runs clear. Cover it with water and let it soak for 4-10 hours.
- Drain the water from rice and steam it. Use any steaming setup that you have. If the steamer has big holes make sure to line it with a damp cloth so that rice doesn’t fall through. Make sure there is space for steam to circulate.
- Steam covered for 15-20 minutes. The rice will turn translucent. Cooking time may vary based on how long the rice was soaked. Taste test to make sure it is cooked.Note: If using any other rice, keep in mind that steaming will not cook it. You will need to cook it immersed in a liquid, please check notes section below.
Make sweet coconut sauce
- When rice is steaming, place ¾ cup coconut milk, salt and sugar in a pot and gently heat until sugar dissolves. Keep the heat low as high heat may cause coconut milk to separate. Cover and keep this warm till rice finishes cooking.
- When rice is done cooking and when rice is still hot, transfer it to the coconut milk + sugar mixture. Cover and rest till rice absorbs all the coconut milk. Takes about 15 minutes.
Make salty coconut sauce.
- Mix rice flour and water till no lumps remain. In a small pot, add ¼ cup coconut milk, rice flour with water, salt and cook till it slightly thickens. I am sometimes guilty of adding a spoonful of sugar into this sauce.
- Toast sesame seeds in a pan on medium heat till it slightly changes color.
- To serve, take a portion of the rice, add chopped mangoes to the plate, top with salty coconut sauce and sesame seeds and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- keep in mind that steaming will not cook it.
- You will need to cook it immersed in a liquid.
- The amount of liquid needed will depend on the rice you want to use and you may need more coconut milk than mentioned above.
- In that case, take the required amount of coconut milk and cook the rice directly in the coconut milk and salt, on stove top or rice cooker.
- Once the rice is cooked, add the sugar and stir until thick.
- Then pour salty coconut milk sauce and serve with mango.
- Other varieties of rice will not have the chewy texture of glutinous rice.
Did you try this recipe?
Do leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you liked it! I would love to see the photos too! Tag me on social media!
Thank you so much for stopping by! It really means a lot to me!
Best recipe I’ve tried by far. Thanks so much. Both the rice and sauces turned out perfectly. Tasted better than what we get at a restaurant, and it was fun and easy and cheap to make.
That makes me so happy, am so glad you liked it! Thanks a lot for trying and for taking the time to give your feedback! You are right about how inexpensive and easy it is to make at home!
One reason why I wait for summer – MANGOES!!
And this is one of my all time favourite dishes made from mango. Simple yet so flavourful! I was so inspired seeing this dish of yours that I jumped on to make it for my family the very next moment. And they were in love with it, totally! Thank you for sharing this recipe Shwetha. It was very helpful.
Hey! So glad to know you tried this! Happy it turned out good and your family loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! Appreciate it 🙂
This one tasted n also looked amazing … Loved the texture😊
Thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a message 🙂 Am glad you liked it!
We love sticky rice with mangoes. Whenever mangoes are in season, this is something I make almost every week or so. But my 4 years old never enjoyed it as much as she did when I followed this recipe. Now whenever she sees mangoes laying on the counter, she wants to eat sticky rice mango. 😉
This recipe is just perfect!! All the best girl 😊
Thank you! So happy to know your daughter enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to drop a message 🙂
This looks perfect! I enjoyed some amazing mango sticky rice on my trip to Thailand years ago! The simplest things tastes the best, and this looks fabulous 😊
Thank you! True that, simplest things always taste the best!
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Thank you!
Hi. I don’t know why my rice turns mushy after soaking in the sweet coconut milk for some time. Do I need to serve it immediately after the cooked rice soak in the coconut milk?
No you don’t have to serve it immediately. It stays chewy even the next day after being refrigerated.
May i know if the rice was soaked for a few hours? Was the glutinous rice steamed or cooked in water? Also, if making with only 1 cup glutinous rice like in the recipe, it takes only 15-20 minutes to steam. Do check the done-ness at 15 minutes. I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to ask any further questions.
This does look beautiful and tasty. I tasted a Thai dish only once and my experience was really bad which made me to stop eating the Thai dishes. But now I am sure that I will certainly try this out and let you know 😊
Great! let me know how you liked it!
👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
Thank you!