Mango Sticky Rice

Quick answer

Total time: 45 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Mango sticky rice is Thailand's most beloved dessert, built on nothing more than three ingredients - glutinous rice, coconut milk, and ripe mango - yet delivering a complexity that belies its simplicity.

The rice is steamed, then soaked in warm coconut milk sweetened with sugar and tempered with a pinch of salt, which keeps the dish from being one-dimensionally sweet. Slices of ripe mango, ideally the fragrant Nam Dok Mai variety, are laid alongside the warm rice. A drizzle of thickened coconut cream on top ties everything together, and a scattering of toasted mung beans or sesame seeds adds a final nutty note. The dish is at its peak between April and June when mangoes are at their sweetest.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

glutinous rice300 gg

coconut milk300 mlml

sugar60 gg

salt½ tsts

ripe mango2 piecepiece

sesame seeds optional1 tsts

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Rinse 300g glutinous rice several times until the water runs mostly clear, then cover it with plenty of fresh water.

Soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight if possible, so the grains hydrate evenly before steaming.
2

Step

Drain the soaked rice in a sieve for about 10 minutes so it is wet but not dripping.

Spread it in the steamer in an even layer, then steam over strong heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the center feels tender.
3

Control

Combine 300ml coconut milk, 60g sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt in a small saucepan.

Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, and turn off the heat as soon as small bubbles appear around the edge.
4

Control

Pour two-thirds of the warm coconut sauce over the hot rice and fold gently with a spatula.

Cover and rest for 10 to 15 minutes, turning it once midway so the grains absorb the sauce evenly.
5

Control

Warm the remaining sauce over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just to keep it pourable.

Peel 2 ripe mangoes, slice around the pits into thick pieces, and handle them gently so the juicy flesh stays neat.
6

Finish

Spoon the coconut rice into serving bowls and arrange the mango slices neatly beside it.

Drizzle the remaining sauce over the rice, sprinkle with 1 tsp sesame seeds if using, and serve while the rice is still warm.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Glutinous rice soaked in sweetened coconut milk sits beneath sliced ripe mango in Mango Sticky Rice.
Finish cue: Spread it in the steamer in an even layer, then steam over strong heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the center feels tender.
Storage and reheating: Soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight if possible, so the grains hydrate evenly before steaming.