DESSERTS
Mango Sticky Rice
You can make this dessert at any time, since tropical fruits are available year around.
By Vickypee I Published on February 6, 2025
Jump To Recipe
This Thai dessert is loved worldwide. The famous mango sticky rice, sweet ripe mangoes sit on the sticky rice that soaked in coconut milk. The rice is soft and creamy, the mangoes add natural sweetness, and the salted coconut sauce, hold a big taste, mixing the soft, fruity is a perfect dish and real treat.
Coconut sticky rice is the basis for the most popular of Thai dessert, sticky rice. Make the sweetened coconut cream while the rice is steaming, as once the grains are cooked, they must be immediately covered by the cream.
Sometime, it is eaten with tropical fruit such jackfruit or coconut custard, and is most famously paired with sweet ripped mango. It is also great by itself. More often the dessert is garnished with some toasted yellow mung beans or sesame seeds.
This dessert makes me happy. I love the delicate approach of Thai desserts that nature can be sweet. And like all things that sweet stuff. It is to be enjoyed in moderation.
The components
This dessert is made from white long gran glutinous rice and then macerated in a coconut syrup then drizzle the salted coconut sauce, sprinkle the crispy mung beans and top with mango. Here are the elements of dish.
- Sweet coconut sticky rice
White sticky rice, coconut cream, a good coconut cream is important here, salt, and granulated sugar. If you want to make authenticity and Thai-inspired flavor to the dish, also add the coconut cream with pandan leaves. This helps to add that little extra flavor to the coconut rice but isn’t necessary if you’re unable to fine this ingredient.
- - Wash the rice
- - Prepare the coconut syrup
- - Macerate the rice
- Salted coconut sauce
This cream used as a topping or sauce for desserts. It will keep your coconut sticky rice at the best: coconut cream, salt, sugar, and rice flour paste. This flour is just to thicken the sauce so the it will stay on the rice and not run all over the plate. Stir the rice flour in some water until there are no more lumps.
- Mangoes
Use ripe, sweet, and juicy mangoes that are in season for the best flavor. Mango sticky rice is available year around in Thailand, the best time to eat is during the mango season which is in Thailand’s summer, roughly from March until May. In the season we can find ripe nam dok mai these mangoes are sweet, juicy, sometime they develop wrinkle on the skin, or even a black spot. Those are sure signs of ripeness that mangoes have completely yellow, sweet, juicy will keep your coconut sticky rice is the best.
- Crispy Muang Beans
You can find shelled, split mung beans at many Asian grocery stores. Do not get whole mung beans which are green; the ones you need are yellow, and they should be split in halves.
Assembly
Peel and cut the mangoes into nice slices about ½ inch piece. Scoop the rice onto a plate, then drizzle the salted coconut sauce over the rice. Sprinkle the crispy mung beans and top with fresh mangoes.
Tips for success
- The sticky rice is best served the day it is made. While you can reheat it, the texture is never as good as when it’s fresh. But there are lots you can do the saving in time and effort make serving day much easier, see short cut tips and make ahead below.
- Drain the rice very well before you steam. If there is a lot of water in the rice, it’ll trickle down to the bottom which will make the bottom of the rice soggy.
- Put the hot rice to soak with coconut syrup and quickly stir all the ingredients mix well. let it sit and covered 10 minutes to perfect combination.
- Always use sweet ripe mangoes for the best version of this dish. There is nothing that ruins mango and sticky rice more than sour or flavorless mangoes.
- Thai glutinous rice is pure magic, creating a chewy texture. And you can use white sticky rice instead, it will be just as good.
- Refrigerate the rice after 4 hours of soaking if not steaming yet. This is to ensure food safety since we have introduced fresh plant materials to the water.
Short cut
- Grab store-bough toasted almond nuts, crush them up, and use those instead of making crispy Muang Beans.
- Skip the rice flour paste to thicken the salted coconut sauce. It won’t be necessary then, and the dish is thicker and slightly heavier with the coconut cream.
Storing and reheating
I like to divide the leftovers sticky rice into 1 cup portion size. Store them in the fridge. It is convenience when I need to use it and reheat it.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheated rice will have slightly compromised texture, but it is fine to eat.
Cover the rice with a damp paper towel and microwave until piping hot. Halfway through, take it out and break it up into smaller chunks and mix the up for more even heating.
Alternatively, cover with dry paper towel or tea towel and steam it in a steamer until the rice is piping hot. After a few minutes of steaming, break the rice up into smaller chunks of more even heating. The rice will not regain its softness unless it is fully reheat. Let cool to room temp or slightly warm before serving.
The salted coconut sauce will last at least 1 week in the fridge without any issues. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Cut mango just only you need, leftover cut mangoes may develop some browning, which is not pretty and may destroy the taste.
More Recipes for fruit smoothies you may like
Recipe
Mango Sticky Rice
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
For the coconut sticky rice
- 1 ½ cups dry glutinous rice, or white sticky rice
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the salted coconut sauce
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon rice flour
For serving plate
- 4 large ripe mangoes
- 2 tablespoons crispy mung beans or toasted almond flakes for extra topping
Directions
To cook coconut sticky rice
- Wash the rice 4 to 5 times until the water looks clear.
- Put the rice in a large bowl, cover with water, and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours.
- When it ready to cook, drain the rice in the strainer until no water remaining. Put a piece of steamer cloth in the steamer basket then add the soaked rice. The rice should sit on the bottom of the basket. Make sure it’s not piled too high in the center. Add 4 cups of water to the steamer pot. Heat the water over high heat until it’s boiling. Insert the rice basket into the pot, cover it and steam for about 20 to 25 minutes until you can see through the rice a bit and it feels chewy when you try it.
- While the sticky rice is cooking. Prepare the coconut syrup by adding ½ cup coconut cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons salt in a small saucepan with low heat. stir until the sugar melts with a little bubble up. Turn off the heat and keep covered until the rice is done. Do not let this syrup reduce.
- Now the steamed rice is ready, quickly add them to a mixing bowl and pour the prepared coconut cream over the rice, keep stirring until the rice soaks up all the syrup for about 5 minutes, then covered and set aside for 15 minutes in a warm place.
- After 15 minutes, fold the bottom of the rice up to the top to help redistribute the liquid, and let it sit for about 15 minutes or until ready to serve.
Note: The coconut rice should be absorbed all the liquid and looks shiny. They should be no pooling liquid remaining.
To cook salted coconut sauce
- In a small bowl mixed with a little water to form a flour paste.
- Heat coconut cream, then stir in flour paste and salt.
- When the sauce thick, add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Remove from the heat. And set aside.
To make the serving plate
- Peel and cut the mangoes into nice slices about ½ inch piece.
- Scoop the rice onto a plate, then drizzle the salted coconut sauce over the rice. Sprinkle the crispy mung beans and top with fresh mangoes.
- Serve right away.
Make ahead the crispy mung beans
- Rise the beans, add them to a small pot and cover with 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil over the medium heat. Once it is boiled, remove from the heat and cover the pot for 10 minutes.
- Drain off the water and rinse the beans in cold water. Lay the beans on a paper towel to dry.
- Bring the beans back to a small pan, toast the beans over medium, stirring frequently until the beans are crunchy and start developing a light golden color.
- Let the toasted beans cool on a plate. Once they are completely cool keep them in an airtight container and store in room temperature for up to 1 week.
Explore More
Hot Matcha Latte Mix
This fast and easy recipe compliments and offset the fragrant, leafy taste of matcha with creamy milk and a little sugar for a flavor balance.
Cranberry Orange Cake
This delicious recipe to make something simple but impressive. They’re also happen to be dinner and party.
Lemon Curd
Tangy and creamy curd is a custard-like dessert spread or topping made with lemon juice and zest, sugar egg yolks, and butter.
