Sweet Mango Sticky Rice (Print Version)

Fragrant sticky rice with creamy coconut milk paired perfectly with ripe mango slices.

# Components:

→ Rice

01 - 1 cup glutinous sticky rice
02 - Water for soaking and steaming

→ Coconut Sauce

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

→ Topping

06 - 1/3 cup coconut milk
07 - 1 tablespoon sugar
08 - Pinch of salt
09 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water, optional

→ Fruit

10 - 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and sliced

→ Garnish

11 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or mung beans, optional

# Directions:

01 - Rinse the sticky rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
02 - Drain the rice and steam over boiling water in a cheesecloth-lined steamer basket for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender and translucent.
03 - While the rice is steaming, combine 1 cup coconut milk, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves without boiling.
04 - When the rice is cooked, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Pour the warm sweetened coconut milk over the rice. Stir to combine, cover, and let it absorb for 15 minutes.
05 - Mix 1/3 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. If desired for thicker consistency, add the cornstarch slurry. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened.
06 - Mound portions of sticky rice onto plates. Arrange mango slices alongside. Drizzle with the coconut topping and garnish with toasted sesame seeds or mung beans if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy restaurant dessert but honestly comes together faster than you'd think, especially if you prep the rice ahead.
  • The contrast between warm, creamy rice and cool, sweet mango feels like a small luxury that costs almost nothing to make.
  • Once you nail the coconut sauce, you'll realize it's the real star—drizzled warm over everything, it transforms simple ingredients into something magical.
02 -
  • If you skip the soaking step thinking it doesn't matter, your rice will be grainy instead of creamy—I learned this the wasteful way the first time I rushed.
  • The moment you pour warm coconut sauce over hot rice is when the magic happens; don't skip that fifteen-minute resting period even if you're impatient, because that's when the rice absorbs the flavor completely.
  • Room temperature is the sweet spot for serving, not hot and definitely not cold; the coconut flavor opens up as it cools slightly, and the mango tastes brightest at this temperature.
03 -
  • If you can find a pandan leaf, add it to your coconut sauce while heating to infuse a subtle floral fragrance that makes people stop and ask what that amazing smell is.
  • Toasting your sesame seeds or mung beans yourself in a dry skillet for just two minutes makes an enormous difference in flavor compared to using pre-toasted versions that have lost some brightness.
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