Thai Mango Sticky Rice
Chewy steamed glutinous rice soaked in sweet-salty coconut milk, served with juicy ripe mango and a silky salted coconut sauce. A classic Thai dessert that is simple once you respect the soaking and steaming.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Wait
- 4 hr 30 min
- Total
- 5 hr 25 min
- Makes
- 4 generous servings
Steps
Before you start
- Start at least 4 hours ahead (or the night before): the rice must soak 4 to 8 hours.
- Use Thai glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice. Jasmine, sushi, or other rice will not work.
- Choose mangoes that give slightly when pressed and smell fragrant, such as ataulfo/honey or Nam Dok Mai.
- Shake the coconut milk cans well before opening; use full-fat, not light.
Rinse and soak rice
- Place the glutinous rice in a large bowl and cover with cool water.
- Swirl with your hand, drain, and repeat 3 to 4 times until the water is only slightly cloudy.
- Cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of fresh cool water and soak 4 to 8 hours at room temperature.
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Ready when: Grains are opaque white and break easily when pinched, with no hard translucent core
Tip: Do not soak longer than 8 hours in a warm kitchen; refrigerate if so, or the rice can ferment.
Set up steamer
- Drain the rice well in a strainer for 5 minutes.
- Fill the steamer pot with 2 inches (5 cm) of water, keeping the water below the basket.
- Line the basket with damp cheesecloth or a thin towel.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
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Ready when: Steam is billowing steadily
Tip: Never put the rice in a steamer that is not yet producing steam, or it turns gummy.
Steam the rice
- Spread the drained rice in an even layer in the lined basket, making a small dip in the center.
- Fold the cloth over the top, cover, and reduce heat to medium so steam stays steady.
- Steam 25 minutes, flipping the rice mass over with a spatula (using the cloth) at the 15-minute mark.
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Ready when: Grains are glossy, translucent, and chewy-tender all the way through when bitten
Tip: Top up the pot with boiling water if it runs low.
Make the soaking milk
- While the rice steams, combine 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk, ⅓ cup (65 g) sugar, and ½ tsp salt in a small saucepan.
- Warm over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Sugar and salt fully dissolved and the milk is steaming, not boiling
Tip: Do not boil; high heat can make the coconut milk split and turn oily.
Soak rice in milk
- Transfer the hot steamed rice to the mixing bowl.
- Pour the warm sweetened coconut milk over it and fold gently with a spatula until evenly coated.
- Cover and rest 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Nearly all the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks glossy and plump
Tip: Hot rice absorbs the milk best, so combine them right away.
Cook coconut sauce
- Combine ½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk, 1 tbsp sugar, and ¼ tsp salt in the second small saucepan.
- Heat over medium-low until steaming, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the starch slurry, add it, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon and looks slightly glossy
Tip: Keep it below a boil to keep the sauce smooth.
Slice the mango
- Slice each mango's cheeks off the pit, score the flesh, and peel or scoop it.
- Cut the flesh into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices.
- Trim any remaining fruit from around the pit and add to the plate.
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Ready when: Slices are even and juicy with no fibrous or green bits
Tip: A chilled mango slices cleanly and tastes refreshing against the warm rice.
Plate and serve
- Divide the rice into 4 mounds, about ¾ cup each, on plates.
- Fan the mango slices next to the rice.
- Spoon the warm coconut sauce over a corner of the rice, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
- Serve while the rice is warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Rice is soft, glossy, and just warm; sauce is pooled on top, not soaked in
Tip: Serve the sauce on top, not mixed in, to keep the contrast of salty and sweet.
Good to know
Tips
- Ensure the rice is only moist, not waterlogged, when it goes in the steamer; drain it well.
- Taste the sauce: it should be noticeably salty to balance the sweet rice and fruit.
- If you don't have a steamer, set a heatproof plate on a rack inside a pot with a lid, or use a colander over simmering water with a tight lid.
- Serve the rice warm or at room temperature; cold rice turns hard.
Make ahead
"Soak the rice overnight in the refrigerator (up to 12 hours, covered with water). The coconut sauce can be made 1 day ahead and reheated gently with a splash of water."
Storage & reheating
"Best eaten the day it is made. Room temperature: up to 4 hours, covered. Refrigerator: rice and sauce up to 2 days in airtight containers (rice hardens when cold); keep mango separate and use within 2 days. Reheat rice covered in the microwave in 20-second bursts with a splash of coconut milk or water until soft and warm, or re-steam for 5 minutes. Freezing: rice only, up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above."
Substitutions
- tapioca starch (or cornstarch) → cornstarch. Same amount; sauce will be slightly less glossy.
- large ripe mangoes → ripe peaches or fresh pineapple. Use out of mango season; choose very ripe, sweet fruit.
- granulated sugar → palm sugar, finely chopped. Same weight; adds a caramel flavor, so dissolve fully.
- toasted sesame seeds or crispy mung beans → toasted mung beans or toasted coconut flakes. Adds crunch.
