Have you ever tasted Mango Sticky rice? This is one of my favorite Thai desserts. It’s typically served warm and the flavors from juicy, ripe mangos and creamy coconut sauce work so well together.
On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I stood in amazement at all the different colors of rice offered in their bulk section
Jade green Bamboo rice. Madagascar Pink rice. Bhutanese Red rice. Forbidden Black rice. Purple Thai rice. It was pretty spectacular and I couldn’t help myself from bringing a little of each home. As I ran through a mental list of all the ways I could use my new stash of colorful rice, mango sticky rice stood out. Yes! Colorful sticky rice. Let’s do this.
Recipe + Notes:
For a sticky rice, you want to make sure you are using a “sweet” rice. You’ll often see this labeled at “Glutinous rice.” Don’t worry, my GF friends – this doesn’t mean the rice contains gluten!
To prep the rice: Rinse the rice in a few changes of water. The water will turn milky when you first rinse the rice – keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Cover the rice in water and let it soak for at least an hour. Drain and then it’s ready to steam!
To cook the rice: I like to use a traditional bamboo steamer. I line the basket with a cheesecloth and spread the drained rice on top. Cover with the top and steam for 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
1 cup sticky rice, soaked and steamed
1 cup good quality coconut milk (avoid the “lite” varieties and shake can before using)
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp tapioca starch (or sub Cornstarch)
pinch of salt
1-2 ripe, juicy mangos, sliced or diced
Directions:
Pour coconut milk in saucepan and heat slowly over medium-low heat. Be careful not to boil as it will make the coconut milk curdle. Gently stir in sugar and salt until well incorporated. Put hot, cooked rice in a medium sized bowl and pour in 3/4 of the coconut milk mixture, reserving 1/4. The coconut milk will absorb into the rice.
For the coconut sauce – take remaining mixture, whisk in the tapioca starch until slightly thickened. Taste and add a bit more sugar if desired.
To serve, put a portion of rice on a plate, and top with mango. Drizzle the coconut sauce on top. Yum.
YUM!
I had no idea rice came in so many colors!
Festive, right?
I have had a bag of sticky rice in the bottom of my pantry forever but never really had a plan for it… Now I sure do!!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out!