Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

The delicious and delectable mango sticky rice recipe is a classic Thai dessert. If you’ve never tried sweet mango sticky rice for dessert, it may seem weird to eat sticky rice with mango, but it’s one of those dishes where all the ingredients surprisingly complement each other and come together to produce a culinary masterpiece. Thai street cuisine and Thai restaurants all over the world are known for serving this dish.

Aside from being a delicious dessert, this Thai food contains calcium, vitamin c, and potassium, making it ideal for those looking for something sweet but healthy. If it’s mango season in your area or you’re simply craving for delicious but easy meals to make, why not try making mango sticky rice? Read the detailed recipe below to learn how.

Thai Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

The mango sticky rice is made up of three main ingredients: Thai sticky rice, mango, and coconut milk. For maximum flavor, it is important to use fresh ingredients such as fresh mango and coconut milk. In making this Thai mango sticky rice, use high-quality coconut milk for the thick coconut cream, and fresh mango slices to fully complement the sticky rice.

However, it can be difficult to get fresh coconut milk even in Asian grocery stores, so canned coconut milk is the next best thing.

There are two methods to cook the Thai glutinous rice; the stovetop method or using an instant pot. If you prefer a more traditional feel cooking on the stovetop is the way to go, but if you’re pressed for time, the instant pot would be the better choice. You can try using a rice cooker, however, the prep time will have to be adjusted.

Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Mango Sticky Rice Ingredients

• 1 cup Thai glutinous, or sticky rice
• 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or freshly squeezed coconut milk
• 2 ripe and fresh mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp granulated white sugar or 4 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds or coconut flakes (optional)

Materials You’ll Need:

• Medium or small saucepan
• Small bowl, metal
• Stove or instant pot
• Peeler

Procedure:

Stovetop Method

1. Rinse the glutinous rice in cold water using a sieve or rice washer. Repeat the process until the water runs clear. Afterward, soak it in 3 cups of water for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Drain the water using a sieve. Allow the rice to drain for a few minutes in the strainer until all of the excess water has been removed. Then place it on a muslin towel and stretch it out a bit. Bring the muslin cloth’s edges together to cover the rice.

3. Boil the water in a steamer until it’s nice and hot. Then, in the steamer, place the rice covered in muslin cloth. Cover and steam for 20 to 25 minutes on medium heat.

4. Carefully remove from the steamer. By this time, the rice should be properly cooked.

5. Heat 2/3 cup coconut milk in a skillet over medium heat while the rice cooks. Add 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved in the coconut milk. Remove from heat.

6. Transfer the prepared coconut milk mixture to a large mixing bowl. In the same bowl, add the hot cooked rice. Make sure the sauce is still hot when you do so.

7. If the coconut milk mixture has already cooled, place it in a metal mixing bowl. In a larger bowl, add hot or warm water. Place the metal mixing bowl on top and carefully stir the sauce until it’s warm again.

8. Using a spatula, thoroughly stir all of the cooked rice and coconut milk until combined. It may appear liquid at this stage, but the rice will absorb all of the sauce. Cover and set aside the coconut sticky rice mixture for 45 minutes to allow the rice to absorb all of the coconut milk.

9. Once the timer for the dessert has passed 45 minutes, create the coconut sauce that will be drizzled on top.

10. Place 1 cup coconut milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or 4 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium or small saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar is completely melted and reduce heat to low.

11. Take 2 tablespoons of the sweet coconut milk from the pan and place it into a small dish after the mixture has warmed up and the sugar has dissolved. Mix in 1 tablespoon cornstarch until a smooth paste is formed.

12. Return the cornstarch slurry to the pan, stirring constantly in low heat. The sweet mixture will thicken almost instantly. Once your sauce has achieved the appropriate thickness, remove it from the heat. You may thin it out with extra coconut milk if you want to.

13. Remove the mango’s skin using a peeler or knife before slicing it. Then, on either side of the mango pit/stone, make an incision. Then, using a sharp knife, cut each piece into 4-5 smaller pieces.

14. To serve, spoon the sweetened rice onto a serving platter, then top with mango slices. Drizzle the sweet coconut sauce over the top of the sticky rice and mango. Serve immediately with toasted sesame seeds on top for additional taste.

Instant Pot Method

1. In a dish, rinse 1 cup rice with cold water until the water turns clear. This stage of rinsing should be repeated 6–7 times until the water is clear.
2. Using a sieve, drain the rice. If you skip this stage, the rice will be left with extra cold water, which will affect the final texture.
3. Pour 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of water into a steel bowl, which should fit inside your instant pot. Stir in sticky rice until all of the rice is submerged in the water. Place the bowl’s lid on top.
4. Pour 1.5 cups of water into the Instant Pot’s inner steel pot. Place a trivet on top of the rice bowl. An aluminum sling can be made by folding a long piece of aluminum foil for easy lifting of the bowl. Press the manual or pressure cook button after closing the lid.
5. Cook sticky rice for 12 minutes under high pressure. Allow for a 15-minute natural release before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
6. Follow steps 5-13 above.

Cooking Notes

• This dish requires sweet rice, sticky rice, or glutinous rice. Please don’t use any other rice for this recipe. You may buy sticky rice in Asian grocery stores or order it online if the former option is unavailable.
• The coconut cream should have a great sweet-salty balance. Salt and sugar can be adjusted to taste. If the coconut mixture is too sweet, add another ¼ teaspoon salt to taste. If it’s too bland or more on the salty side, add another 1 tbsp granulated sugar or 2tbsp brown sugar. It’s important to have a balanced taste of salty and sweet, so add more sugar or salt as necessary. Careful not to overdo as you might be left with an overly saturated sticky rice with mango.
• It’s ideal if you eat it within a few hours after cooking it. If serving hot, serve right away. You can cool it down for an hour or two if you prefer to have it cold. Don’t refrigerate.
• Leftover rice may be stored in the refrigerator, but it will solidify. If you have leftover rice, steam it again to soften it, then prepare additional coconut sauce to add to it to loosen it up a bit. You can try covering it with a moist towel and reheating it in the microwave.
• If you’re an aspiring food stylist or you simply want a more presentable dish, you can try serving each component of the mango sticky rice separately. To make one dessert, place the sticky rice on a dish first, using a small scoop, sprinkle toasted coconut flakes or sesame seeds on top, and put decoratively sliced fresh mangoes on the side. Place the sweet coconut sauce in a small bowl and place beside the rice. You can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with syrup as well.
• For more fragrant sticky rice, add pandan leaves to the top of the rice as you’re cooking it.
• You can also use roasted mung beans as toppings instead of sesame seeds. Either yellow or green mung beans are fine.
• If you want a more concentrated coconut flavor, add 1 cup coconut milk to the recipe.

Final Note

The next time you’re looking for a sweet dish to serve to family and friends, this Thai mango, sticky rice, and coconut milk dish can be your go-to recipe. This dish can be served with a savory Thai recipe like Pad Thai or can be eaten as it is.

Remember that while using dried mango can be convenient, this recipe relies on the natural flavor of fresh mango.

For other rice recipes, you can visit our blog.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is it possible to make this mango sticky rice recipe using different varieties of rice?

The sweet rice used in this recipe has a special mix of starches that makes it sticky after it’s cooked. There is no ideal substitute for this kind of rice. If you really have to, you can use sushi rice as a substitute, followed by Jasmine rice and Basmati rice.

Note that while this may save you time in cooking this sticky rice mango recipe, it also means that the rice will lack authenticity in texture and flavor and will be unlike the original version of Thai food. Monitor the rice’s absorption and how long it needs to cook for mango sticky rice.

What is Thai sticky rice, and how does it differ from other kinds of rice?

Sticky rice is known in Thai as khao neow, which literally means “sticky rice.” Because of its sticky and gooey nature, sticky rice is also known as glutinous rice or sweet rice. It’s extensively grown in Southeast Asia, and it’s a staple in Thai cuisine.

Sticky rice is a type of rice that is highly sticky, so much so that it sticks to your fingertips when you pick it up with your fingers. When you look at uncooked sticky rice, it seems virtually identical to regular long-grain rice, but the color is whiter and milkier, and it isn’t translucent at all.

Thai sticky rice has more calories than ordinary rice and takes longer to digest. It’s one of the reasons why sticky rice is so popular among Thai farmers and laborers is that it provides long-lasting energy.

Is mango sticky rice best served hot or cold?

This sticky rice with mango recipe is best served hot, but you can eat it cold if you prefer. Note that you can’t refrigerate the sticky rice, however you can refrigerate the coconut cream if you have leftover sauce. Simply reheat the mixture and use it on your next batch of sticky rice with mango.