Mango Sticky Rice

Khao Niao Mamuang (Thai Mango Sticky Rice)

The classic Thai street dessert: steamed glutinous rice folded through warm, lightly salted coconut milk, served with ripe mango and a spoonful of thickened coconut cream.

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8½ oz / about 1½ cups) glutinous (sweet) rice, Thai-style, soaked 4 hours or overnight
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) full-fat coconut milk, for soaking into the rice; well shaken
• •120 g (½ cup packed) palm sugar, chopped; light brown sugar works if needed
• •fine sea salt, ½, non-negotiable — balances the sweetness
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) full-fat coconut cream, thick, top-of-can portion preferred
• •1 tsp cornstarch or rice flour, for thickening the topping
• •2 whole ripe mangoes, freely ripe, slightly soft at the stem
• •2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds or toasted split mung beans (tua thong), optional, for crunch

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the glutinous rice in cold water 3–4 times until the water runs mostly clear. Soak in plenty of cold water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain well.
2. 2 Set up a steamer over simmering water. Line the basket with cheesecloth or a clean cotton towel. Spread the drained rice in an even layer, about 2–3 cm thick.
3. 3 Steam, covered, for 25–30 minutes, stirring gently once at the halfway point so it cooks evenly. The rice is done when the grains are tender, translucent, and no longer chalky in the center. (Test by pressing a grain between your fingers — it should mash easily.)
4. 4 While the rice steams, make the coconut sauce: combine the 200 ml coconut milk, palm sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil hard or it will split. Taste — it should be noticeably sweet with a clear salty edge.
5. 5 Transfer the hot rice to a bowl. Pour the warm coconut-sugar mixture over it and fold gently until every grain is glossy and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Cover and rest 10–15 minutes so the rice fully drinks in the coconut.
6. 6 Make the topping: pour the 100 ml coconut cream into a small saucepan, add the cornstarch slurry, and a small pinch of salt. Heat gently over low, stirring, until it thickens to a pourable cream that coats the back of a spoon, 3–4 minutes. Do not boil. Keep warm.
7. 7 Peel the mangoes, slice the cheeks off the pit, and cut into thick slices.
8. 8 To serve, mound a portion of warm coconut rice on a plate, lay mango slices alongside, spoon the warm coconut cream over the rice, and scatter with toasted sesame or mung beans if using. Eat just above room temperature — not hot, not cold.