Thai Mango Sticky Rice
泰式芒果糯米饭
A classic Thai-style mango sticky rice made with sweet coconut milk, steamed glutinous rice, and ripe mango. The key is letting the hot rice absorb warm coconut milk until glossy, tender, and deeply fragrant.
A classic Thai-style mango sticky rice made with sweet coconut milk, steamed glutinous rice, and ripe mango. The key is to let the hot sticky rice absorb the warm coconut milk until it becomes glossy, tender, and deeply fragrant.
Ingredients
Sticky Rice:
- 1 cup glutinous rice (preferably Thai long-grain)
- Water, for soaking and steaming
Coconut Milk Mixture:
- 160ml coconut milk or coconut cream (coconut milk gives a lighter result; coconut cream is richer)
- 30–50g sugar (I prefer under 30g for a less sweet version)
- 2g salt
- 1 pandan leaf, optional
To Serve:
- Ripe mango, sliced
Optional Coconut Sauce:
- 80ml coconut milk or coconut cream
- 2g rice flour
- A tiny pinch of salt
- 5g sugar
Optional Crispy Mung Beans:
- Peeled split mung beans
- Water, for boiling
Instructions
- Rinse the glutinous rice and soak overnight.
- Drain the soaked rice and steam over high heat for about 25 minutes, until fully cooked and tender.
- While the rice steams, combine coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small pot. Heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves — do not boil. Add a pandan leaf if using. Cover to keep warm.
- Once the rice is done, immediately pour the warm coconut milk mixture over the hot rice. Stir well — it may look like too much liquid at first, but that’s normal. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10–20 minutes to absorb. Stir again, then let sit another 10 minutes.
- Optional coconut sauce: Whisk rice flour into coconut milk with salt and sugar until dissolved. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Drizzle over the rice when serving.
- Optional crispy mung beans: Rinse peeled split mung beans. Bring water to a boil, turn off the heat, add the beans, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and dry well. Stir-fry over medium heat until dry, crispy, and lightly golden.
- Serve the coconut sticky rice with sliced ripe mango. Drizzle with coconut sauce and sprinkle with crispy mung beans if using.
Notes
Use fully ripe mangoes — if the mango is sour or underripe, the dish won’t taste right. Let firm mangoes sit at room temperature for 1–2 weeks until fragrant and sweet.
Do not skip the salt. It balances the coconut milk and keeps it from tasting flat. Thai mango sticky rice should be sweet and slightly salty, not just sweet.