Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Printable)

Sweet mango paired with creamy coconut-infused sticky rice creates a delightful tropical treat.

# What You Need:

→ Sticky Rice

01 - 1 cup glutinous (sweet) rice
02 - Water, for soaking and cooking

→ Coconut Sauce

03 - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Mango

06 - 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

→ Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons coconut cream (optional)
08 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or mung beans (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then soak in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
02 - Drain the soaked rice and steam it in a cheesecloth-lined steamer basket for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
03 - Combine coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves without boiling.
04 - Transfer steamed rice to a mixing bowl and pour in three-quarters of the coconut sauce. Stir gently to coat evenly. Cover and let the rice absorb the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Peel and slice the mangoes into serving portions.
06 - Plate the sticky rice and arrange mango slices alongside. Drizzle with the remaining coconut sauce and garnish with coconut cream and toasted sesame seeds or mung beans if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dessert that feels fancy but requires no special skills, just a bit of forethought and attention.
  • Once you nail this, you'll have a signature dish that genuinely impresses people and tastes nothing like what you can buy frozen.
  • The balance of creamy, fruity, and subtly sweet hits different when you make it yourself—somehow it tastes like memory.
02 -
  • The rice must be warm when the sauce hits it—warm rice absorbs the coconut flavor completely; cold rice will reject it and taste dry by comparison.
  • Do not refrigerate the assembled dessert; sticky rice hardens in the cold and becomes grainy instead of creamy, losing everything that made it special.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes before serving—the difference between pre-toasted and freshly toasted is startling, and your guests will taste it.
  • Keep your coconut sauce warm in a small saucepan until serving time; even slightly cooled sauce changes how the warm rice absorbs it.
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