Thai Mango with Sticky Rice may look simple but it is outrageously delicious. The sticky rice is rich and creamy, and pairs perfectly with the sweet, fresh mango.
Rice with fruit seems like such an odd combination but in this case, it is a perfect match. Sticky and chewy glutinous rice coated in a sweet coconut mixture pairs perfectly with ripe fresh mango. Simple, but insanely delicious.
Thai Mango with Sticky Rice is a Thai dessert that is also popular in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Cambodia. It is also spreading in popularity in Western countries.
If you love mango, you absolutely have to try this Thai Mango with Sticky Rice!
What Type of Rice to Use
The rice used for Thai Mango with Sticky Rice is not the same as the steamed white rice you would find with your favorite Asian meals.
The only type of rice that you should use for this dish is glutinous rice. It is also known as Thai Sweet Rice. You can find it at most Asian supermarkets.
When uncooked, glutinous appears more opaque than the common plain white rice. After it is cooked, glutinous rice has a very sticky, firm and chewy texture.
Rinse and soak 1 1/2 cups of glutinous rice for at least 6 hours (up to overnight).
After the rice has soaked, we will cook the rice by steaming it. The easiest way to steam the glutinous rice is to use a piece of cheesecloth. Use at least 2 – 3 layers so that it is more sturdy and can hold the rice without breaking. The cheesecloth will need to be large enough to wrap and cover all of the rice loosely.
Line a colander with the cheesecloth, place it in your kitchen sink, then pour all of the rice on to the cheesecloth. Then, rinse the rice with clean tap water.
There are some tools you can purchase to steam the sticky rice such as this Sticky Rice Steamer Pot and Basket (traditionally used in Thailand), but you can use any type of steamer.
If your rice cooker has a steamer tray, put the rice in cheesecloth, then place the cheesecloth on your rice cooker’s steamer tray.
I normally use a bamboo steamer or a steamer basket in a wok.
Fill the wok (or whatever type of steamer you are using) with water, then place the sticky rice bundled in cheesecloth on to the steamer. When the water starts to boil, cover your steamer and allow the rice to steam for 20 minutes.
While waiting for the rice to steam, prepare the sweet coconut milk mixture:
Simmer 1 cup of coconut milk in a small pot over medium heat. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar (palm sugar works best if it is available to you) and a pinch of salt to the coconut milk, then stir gently until all of the sugar and salt have dissolved completely.
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After the glutinous rice has been steamed, pour the rice into a large bowl.
Set aside about a 1/4 cup of the coconut milk mixture (for drizzling on to the rice/mango later), then pour the remaining coconut milk onto the rice.
Use a rice paddle to stir the coconut milk mixture into the rice until evenly distributed.
If you will not be serving the rice immediately, place some plastic wrap over the bowl to prevent the rice from drying out too quickly.
Mango
The mango is the superstar of the dish! Any type of mango will work as long as they are ripe and sweet. When I was living in the States, I loved using champagne mangoes for this dish. You can find them at most Asian supermarkets and I did spot them in the local grocery stores from time to time.
First, peel the skin off the mango. The mango will have a large flat seed in the middle – run your knife just over the seed on both sides. (If you are not comfortable with these two steps, you can use a mango slicer for this task). Finally, cut the mango into 1/2-inch slices.
Place the mango slices on a serving plate along with the sticky rice. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Serve with the reserved coconut milk mixture.
Enjoy!
PS: Looking for more mango recipes? Here are some you may enjoy!
Thai Mango with Sticky Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice uncooked
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (or palm sugar, if available)
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 mangoes cut into slices or cubes
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the glutinous rice for at least 6 hours, up to overnight.
- Steam the rice for 20 minutes (place uncooked rice in cheesecloth, then steam using any type of steamer)
- In a small saucepan or pot, heat coconut milk over medium heat. As it starts to boil, add the sugar and salt. Stir till the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk mixture for serving later.
- Put the steamed glutinous rice into a large mixing bowl. Pour the remaining coconut milk over the rice. Stir the coconut milk into the rice until evenly distributed.
- Serve the mango and the sticky rice together. Garnish with sesame seeds. Drizzle the additional coconut milk onto the rice or mango if desired.
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Sunday 24th of May 2020
[…] buying the right type of rice. Glutinous rice is extremely sticky and used for dishes like Thai Mango and Sticky Rice. It is not used for everyday […]