Mango Sticky Rice is a special Thai dessert that's actually really easy to make at home! My recipe includes instructions on how to prepare the sticky rice, coconut sauce, and sliced mangoes!
Looking for more mango desserts? Try my Mango Sago or Mango Float next!
About This Recipe
I've been on a mango binge lately. For the last 2 months, I've been going to different grocery stores, buying mangoes when I see them, then ripening them in my special "ripening chamber" in my living room. The said chamber consists of a wooden basket, lined with paper bags and a few cloth shopping bags. It's meant to trap the ethylene gas so the mangoes ripen faster. I also toss in a few ripe bananas (bananas release a lot of ethylene). My wife thinks I'm crazy. But she gets to eat juicy mangoes every day now. I have 12 in my fridge currently.
To use up all the mangoes, I've been recipe testing a bunch of different stuff. Mango tiramisu, smoothies, vinegar... and I finally got around to trying mango sticky rice. My wife and I actually had it last weekend at a street market, which is why I'm posting it this week.
The process is really simple. However, you need to set aside 3-4 hours for the sticky rice to soak. Aside from that, it's relatively straightforward. You'll need something to steam the rice in. I use a bamboo steamer, but any steamer will work. It needs to be lined with cheesecloth so the rice doesn't fall through and the steam can reach every grain of rice.
Key Ingredients
White glutinous rice: Also known as white sweet rice. You can find this at most Asian grocery stores in the rice aisle. It's different than regular rice in that it gets REALLY sticky when it cooks. You'll need to soak it for 3-4 hours before it can be steamed.
Coconut milk: You'll need one 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk. Light coconut milk works, too, but it won't be as creamy.
Sugar: Of course, we need some sugar. It's a dessert after all. It can be a bit off-putting, but you need about 8 tablespoons.
Cornstarch: For the coconut sauce, we use cornstarch to thicken it. I've seen recipes use flour, too, but I prefer the taste of cornstarch, or lack of taste rather. Flour leaves behind a "flour-y" taste.
Salt: It enhances all the flavors! Mango sticky rice is meant to be a tiny bit salty, too.
Mango: I use fresh Altaulfo mangoes. Sometimes they're labelled as honey mangoes or champagne mangoes. They're the same thing, just different terms used for marketing. Make sure the mangoes are nice and ripe!
Instructions
STEP 1: Soak the rice in a bowl of water for 3-4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Make sure you have about 2 inches of water above the rice. Drain.
STEP 2: To cook the rice, line your steamer with cheesecloth and spread the rice evenly inside. Bring to a boil and steam covered for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fully cooked. Make sure you have enough water inside the steamer so it doesn't run out.
STEP 3: In a medium pot, heat ½ the coconut milk, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the rice. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes for the rice to absorb the milk.
STEP 4: In a small saucepan, combine the remaining coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
STEP 5: To serve, plate the rice, add sliced mangoes, and drizzle the coconut sauce over top. You can press the rice into a small bowl to give it a dome shape.
📋 Recipe
Mango Sticky Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white glutinous rice
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 8 tablespoons sugar (divided)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- salt
- 2 sweet ripe mangoes (Altaulfo mangoes are my favorite)
Instructions
- Soak the rice in a bowl of water for 3-4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Drain.
- To cook the rice, I like using a bamboo steamer, but you can use whatever steamer you have. Line the steamer with cheesecloth and spread the rice evenly inside. Bring to a boil and steam covered for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fully cooked. Make sure your steamer does not run out of water during this time!
- In a medium pot, heat ½ the coconut milk, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the rice. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes for the rice to absorb the milk.
- In a small saucepan, combine the remaining coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
- To serve, plate the rice, add sliced mangoes, and drizzle the coconut sauce over top.
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