Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Come away to Thailand with me as we gorge on some easy, vegan, gluten free, lip-smacking Thai Mango Sticky Rice! ❤

I settle in bed with Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. The book is fascinating, every paragraph seems to articulate things I’ve firmly believed in all my life. And then there are those little bursts of pure genius; I’m struck by her incredible understanding of, and the joy she celebrates in the creative process; so I steal her zeal, filling my pockets to the brim for later. Beside me lies a plateful of homemade Thai Mango Sticky Rice.

Before I turn the page over, I pick up the plate. I scoop out a morsel of rice, carefully place a slice of mango on it and greedily try to fit more sauce on the small spoon. I take a bite. And instantly, I’ve travelled back in time, to November 2015, just off the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat in Bangkok, stood in front of a tiny kiosk, awaiting my turn to place my order. I set the book aside; Elizabeth Gilbert is going to have to wait. I’m taken by a different genius now.

Thailand was breathtaking. (You can read all about the boyfriend’s and my first overseas holiday EVER here!) Though it has been three years since our trip, we have never really gotten over it. They say travel changes you; that you never return home as the same person who left. Traveling to Thailand proved that.

It was a riot of colours and culture and feelings. It was a rush like no sugary dessert could match; 10 whole days of new. No monotony. No schedules. Only eagerness to take in all that we could. We slept less, wandered a lot, ate way too much sushi (as if there is such a thing as too much sushi!), walked until we felt we needed feet replacements and hungrily guzzled down Thai classics like Thai Green Curry, Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice. We simply couldn’t get enough. Much to the chagrin of our friends and family, we talk about Thailand a lot, even today. Thailand has been and will always be a very tough act to follow!

So, every time we head out for a Thai meal, we relive those moments, every dish reminiscent of the meals we shared there, some out on the street, and some under fairy-light canopies in al fresco settings of chic restaurants. And every time, what rounds the meal off beautifully is the all-time favourite Thai dessert – Mango Sticky Rice.

In the three years since our Thai travels, I’ve spent many a day in the kitchen recreating special Thai dishes like this amazing Chicken Green Curry, Pad Thai, Larb Gai, and more. The one thing I never got around to making was this Mango Sticky Rice. Maybe it was something I treasured and reserved just for our Asian dinner nights? Well, not anymore!

How fitting that this Mango Sticky Rice finds its place in the May Mango Mania series! I guess it was meant to be…

This recipe serves 4. Here’s what you need:

• Thai Glutinous Rice – 1 & 1/4 cup
• Coconut Milk – 400 ml
• Sugar – 4 tbsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Corn Flour – 2 tsp
• Mangoes – 2, ripe, thinly sliced
• Toasted black sesame seeds for garnish

Here’s how you make this sublime Thai Mango Sticky Rice:

• Soak the Rice: Measure the rice and place it in a bowl, wash it 5-6 times, gently rubbing it together to release excess starch. The water should be clear by the fifth rinse, however rubbing the rice vigorously can cause it to break and could turn the water milky. So gentle is key. Soak the rice for 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Steam the Rice: Drain the water from the rice and place it in a steaming basket set on a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam it for 15-20 minutes or until the the rice is translucent and soft. Take it off the heat and transfer the rice to a bowl.
• Make the Coconut Sauce: While the rice is steaming, combine coconut milk, sugar and salt in a pot and place on medium heat. Allow the sauce to heat slowly, making sure it doesn’t boil. When hot to the touch, reserve 1 cup of sauce and let the rest continue heating. To the portion that is still heating, add in corn flour slurry (2 tsp corn flour dissolved in 3 tsp water) and stir continuously till sauce thickens a bit. Turn off the heat and leave aside.
• Soak the Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk: Pour the reserved, non-thickened 1 cup of coconut sauce into the steamed rice while still hot. Gently mix it in and leave it aside for 5 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the coconut milk.
• Assemble: When you’re ready to serve dessert, scoop a portion of sticky rice (can be modeled with the help of tumblers/bowls) and place it on a plate. Arrange the slices of chilled mango around the rice. Then drizzle the coconut sauce over the rice and garnish with toasted black sesame seeds.

Before I made Mango Sticky Rice at home, I thought of it as a mountain, one very difficult to scale. Now I wonder why I harbored that misconception for so long! In all honesty, it is one of the easiest desserts I’ve ever made. Yes, it does require some planning, as the rice needs to soak for 6-8 hours, but from then on out, it’s done in a flash! If you soak the rice overnight or while you’re getting other chores done, I’m talking just 20-30 minutes to this Mango Sticky Rice goodness!

Oh man, I’m not sure I can fully put in words the way I feel about this dessert. But I sure will try! My first time trying Mango Sticky Rice had me a tad confused for I’m a rice lover and had only ever experienced it in its savoury staple form. But once I took the second bite, the like grew to love, and the love grew to the I-cannot-live-without-this-dessert kind!

Sticky steamed rice, soaked in lush coconut milk until it achieves fragrant gooey perfection, paired with a sweet, glossy coconut sauce, giving you all those tropical feels. And served with ripe, juicy mangoes, which lend that quintessential tangy offset that makes this dessert a masterpiece; how could you fault it?

Tips to nail this recipe every time:

• This recipe uses a very specific kind of rice – Thai Glutinous Rice, also known as Thai Sticky Rice or Thai Sweet Rice. I am not sure if using a different kind of rice will yield the same results.
• Try to use Thai Coconut Milk or Natural/Organic Coconut Milk. There is a huge flavour difference between the regular (with artificial flavourings) kind and the Thai/Organic kind, and hence will completely change the flavour of the dessert.
• You can adjust the sweetness of the coconut sauce depending on your preference and the sweetness of the mangoes.
• This dessert is best served as a combination of hot and cold – warm rice and coconut sauce paired with chilled sliced mangoes; HEAVEN!

If you love Thai cuisine and you love mangoes, make this simple homemade version. You’ll be surprised to find how easy it is to put together, and how delicious too. You’ll keep going back for more!

Here are some other mango desserts that are pretty irresistible!

• No-Churn Mango Sorbet
• Mango Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
• Mango Strawberry Roulade
• Mango Passion Fruit Pavlova

Want to Pin This recipe for later? Here you go…

Psst… If you’d like to, you could come check me out on Pinterest! I pin a tonne of fun stuff – chocolate, lots of dessert, easy weeknight recipes; and home decor (I’m obsessed with home office spaces!)😛

Also, for regular updates on what’s happening in The Foodscape kitchen, follow me on Instagram at @thefoodscape! You’ll love all the deliciousness there, I promise! ❤