Simple Stay-home Recipes: Thai Mango Sticky Rice

If you liked our previous recipe article about how to make your very own Jay Fai-Inspired Thai Crab Omelette, and you’re craving more Thai food recipes, today’s your lucky day.

One of the sweet treats that I simply have to get whenever I’m visiting Thailand, or even when ordering Thai food in Singapore, is mango sticky rice—it is just such a great combination.

Sticky, chewy, fragrant glutinous rice comes together with refreshing and sweet mango chunks, and finished off with a generous drizzle of sweet coconut sauce. Mmm, I’m craving it again just thinking about it.

So, for today, I’ll try my hand at recreating this popular Thai dessert at home. Follow along with our recipe, and find out how you can make your own Thai Mango Sticky Rice!

Ingredients

• 200g glutinous rice
• 375ml water (divided into 250ml and 125ml portions)
• 5 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 300ml coconut milk
• 1 to 2 ripe mangoes

Tools

• Pot
• Knife
• Chopping board

Recipe Preparation

Preparation time: 40 minutes; Cooking time: 10 minutes
Feeds five to six

• In a pot, soak glutinous rice in 250ml of water for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not drain the rice.
• Add 125ml more water, plus 150ml of coconut milk, salt, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir well.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then partially cover with a lid, leaving some room for steam to escape. Reduce heat to medium-low, or just until you get a gentle simmer.
• Simmer 20 – 30 minutes, or until coconut water has been absorbed by the rice.
• Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner with the lid on tight. Allow it to sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
• To make the sauce, warm (do not boil) the rest of the can of coconut milk over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, stirring to dissolve.
• Taste sauce for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired. Note that it will taste less sweet when added to the rice.
• Prepare mango by cutting it open and slicing into bite-size pieces.
• Scoop some warm rice into each serving bowl, then drizzle the sweet coconut sauce over.
• Arrange mango slices on the rice and drizzle more sauce, then serve.

Recipe in Pictures

Step 1: In a pot, soak glutinous rice in 250ml of water for 20 – 30 minutes. Do not drain the rice.

Step 2: Add 125ml more water, plus 150ml of coconut milk, salt, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir well.

Step 3: Bring to a gentle boil, then partially cover with a lid, leaving some room for steam to escape. Reduce heat to medium-low, or just until you get a gentle simmer.

Step 4: Simmer 20 – 30 minutes, or until coconut water has been absorbed by the rice.

Step 5: Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner with the lid on tight. Allow it to sit for 5 – 10 minutes. This will help to make the rice stickier.

Step 6: To make the sauce, warm (do not boil) the rest of the can of coconut milk over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.

You can actually do this as you’re waiting for the rice to absorb the coconut water.

Step 7: Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, stirring to dissolve. Taste sauce for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired. Note that it will taste less sweet when added to the rice.

I’d say there’s no need to add more brown sugar, considering that you’ll get a good amount of sweetness from the mango chunks too.

Step 8: Prepare mango by cutting it open and slicing into bite-size pieces. Again, you can do this while waiting for the glutinous rice to simmer.

Here’s a handy trick when it comes to slicing mangoes. Chop off the top and bottom ends of the mango, then slice it lengthwise, without cutting into the pit. Score the mango halves (without breaking the skin), and you can simply push the chunks out.

Step 9: Scoop some warm rice into each serving bowl, then drizzle the sweet coconut sauce over.

Step 10: Arrange mango slices on the rice and drizzle more sauce, then serve.

This has to be one of the most successful recipes I’ve tried so far. I shared this sweet treat with my family, and it earned praises the whole night.

The steps are simple enough—it’s mostly a matter of waiting for the glutinous rice to cook and simmer, and it doesn’t call for any sophisticated techniques or cooking skills.

You can enjoy it warm, right after it’s cooked; the contrast in warm glutinous rice and chilled mango chunks is lovely. Alternatively, if you’re saving this dessert for later, it’s fine to chill it too. Do note that as the glutinous cools down, it gets stickier.

Give this Thai Mango Sticky Rice recipe a try, and see if it helps to curb those #wanderlust cravings. At the very least, you’ll have a yummy dessert!

Expected Damage: S$5 per portion (feeds 5 – 6 pax)