Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice

Here it is. The guilty pleasures of all guilty pleasures. If guilty pleasures have a king, THIS IS IT. Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice – one of my all-time favorite desserts. I like to take a bite, close my eyes, savor every moment it stays in my mouth, and just let the world fade away. I’m telling you – it’s the best form of food therapy.

This is a super popular Southeast Asian dessert that is thoroughly enjoyed all over the world today. That’s how you SPREAD THE LOVE! Soft, sweet sticky rice smothered with creamy sweet coconut sauce, then paired with sweet, juicy fresh mangos. Oh. My. YUM. The marrying of flavors is out of this world. So much so I could happy-cry a little.

You can find this dessert in most Thai restaurants, but you should also know it is super easy to make right in your own kitchen. It takes a few ingredients and a little time in the kitchen, and you can indulge in all the Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice you want, at anytime…dreams DO come true!

The longest part of this whole process is soaking the rice. We are using glutinous rice, or sometimes called sweet rice, for this recipe. It is different from sushi rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, etc. If you cannot find it in regular grocery stores, they sell it in Asian grocery stores, or get it online here.

The way to cook glutinous rice is a little bit different from the other rice. After soaking the rice for 2 hours, or up to overnight, we will be steaming the rice, not boiling it in water (like we do with most rice). If you have a steamer, steam it for 20-30 minutes. Check at the 20 minute mark to see if rice has softened, and it is no longer hard in the middle when you bite into it.

If you do not have a steamer, you can “make” a steamer using a pot and some aluminum foil. Fill pot with water, then shape aluminum foil into three equal sized balls. Place the aluminum balls at the bottom of the pot. Then place a metal plate (or a plate that can withstand the high heat) with the rice on it, on the aluminum foil balls. Remember you will need something to lift the hot plate out when it is all done.

Once the water boils, steam rice for 20-30 minutes. Similarly, check at the 20 minute mark.

While waiting for the rice to cook, cut up mangoes (use super sweet, ripe mangoes!)  and also prepare the sweet coconut sauce. Sweet coconut sauce = the must-have secret that makes this dessert AMAZING.

Grab a pot and combine coconut milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, then pour 1/2 of the sauce into a small bowl and set aside. This will be mixed into the rice once the rice is ready.

The rest of the coconut milk and sugar that is in the pot will be used to make the sweet coconut sauce that we will drizzled onto the dessert at the very end. We want to thicken this sauce. To do so, combine 1 tbsp of coconut milk (not the cooked coconut milk) and 1/2 tsp corn starch, then pour into the pot to combine. Boil for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Once the rice is ready, pour the sauce set aside earlier (not the thickened sauce) into the sticky rice. Mix well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

When that is done, place sticky rice onto plates, drizzle that sticky, sticky goodness of the thickened sweet coconut sauce onto the rice, and serve with the sliced mangos. Garnish with sesame seeds if desire.

Oh hey, lovely mango dessert – I WANT TO EAT YOU.

Seriously, this right here…is my weakness. Mango is my favorite fruit. Coconut milk + sugar is sent from above. Those two combine makes me giddy and happy.

What I love about this is how each ingredient is so lovely by itself, but combined, it brings out the flavors of the other ingredients, takes the tastiness of each ingredient to the next level, and makes the dish whole.

I had this a lot as a kid. We would eat this sticky rice/coconut sauce dessert with mangos, durian (local Malaysian fruit), or bananas. I will say my favorite is still mango. Something about the sweet and sour from the mango makes it the best pairing for the creaminess from the coconut.

I will sign off now because I can probably talk about how amazing this is forever. And you will be bored to tears.

If you already love this, virtual high five – I feel this special Thai-Mango-Sweet-Sticky-Rice-fan-club bond with you. If this is new – give it a chance! 🙂 It is truly unique, and some of the most creative use and combination of flavors I know.

Enjoy, and be wowed. 🙂

5 from 2 votes

Print

Thai Mango Sweet Sticky Rice

A classic Southeast Asian dessert! Soft, sweet sticky rice smothered with creamy sweet coconut sauce, then paired with sweet, juicy fresh mangos. Lovely and simple to make!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southeast Asian, Thai

Keyword glutinous rice, mango coconut sticky rice, Mango sticky rice, mango sweet sticky rice, Thai sticky rice with mango

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Soaking time 2 hours

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-3 fresh mangoes
• 1 cup glutinous/sweet rice
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp coconut milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Soak glutinous/sweet rice for 2 hours, or up to overnight. Drain water when ready.

2. Using a steamer, steam sticky rice for 20-30 minutes. Check on the 20 minute mark. If rice is soft and not hard in the middle, it is done.

3. If you do not have a steamer, shape aluminum foil into three equal size balls. Fill pot with water (see Note 1) and place the aluminum balls on the pot. 

   

4. Place a metal bowl/plate (or a plate that can withstand the hot steam) on the aluminum balls. Add drained rice to the bowl/plate. 

   

5. Bring pot to boil, and once it boils, cover pot, and cook for 20-30 minutes. Check on the 20 minute mark. If rice is soft and not hard in the middle, it is done.

6. While waiting for rice to cook, slice mangoes.

7. Prepare the sweet coconut sauce by bringing 1 cup of coconut milk and sugar to boil. Once it reaches a boil, bring 1/2 of the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

8. Combine 1 tbsp of coconut milk and corn starch, then add that into the pot to thicken the sweet coconut sauce. Boil for a few minutes until sauce is thickened.

9. When rice is done, add the non-thicken sweet coconut sauce (the sauce set aside on Step 7) to rice and mix well. Set aside and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.

10. Once cool, place rice onto serving plate(s), pair with mangoes, and drizzle the thickened sweet coconut sauce onto rice. Garnish with sesame seeds.

11. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Make sure to fill enough water so pot doesn't dry out while steaming.

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