⏱ Soak: 4–8 hrs 🔥Cook: 30 min 👤Serves: 4 🌿Diet: Vegan, gluten-free
Thai mango sticky rice, khao niao mamuang is the dessert Thailand exports to every Thai restaurant menu in the world, and for good reason. Glutinous rice steamed until tender, immediately soaked in warm sweet coconut milk until it turns creamy and slightly glossy, served alongside slices of perfectly ripe mango with a salty coconut drizzle that ties the whole thing together. Most of the wait is the soaking, the rice needs several hours before it goes anywhere near a steamer but the active cooking is barely thirty minutes, and every bite of what comes out is worth planning ahead for.
Ingredients
For the sticky rice
- 1½ cups Thai glutinous rice, also labeled “sweet rice” or “sticky rice” at Asian grocery stores. Not jasmine rice, not Japanese short-grain, glutinous rice specifically. There is no substitute.
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar, white sugar keeps the rice white; palm sugar gives a richer, slightly caramel flavor but turns the rice darker
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted, optional, adds a subtle floral fragrance
For the coconut drizzle sauce
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, the salt here is essential, it’s what makes the drizzle taste different from the rice and gives the whole dessert its balance
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, for thickening
To serve
- 2–3 ripe mangoes, Ataulfo or champagne mangoes are the closest US equivalent to Thai nam dok mai mango, smooth, sweet, no stringiness
- Toasted sesame seeds or crispy yellow mung beans, optional but traditional garnish
Step by step
- Soak the rice. Rinse the glutinous rice in several changes of cold water until it runs mostly clear. Submerge in cold water and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain thoroughly before steaming.The soak is not optional, unsoaked glutinous rice will take much longer to steam and come out unevenly textured, chalky in the center even if the outside is soft.
- Steam the rice. Line a steamer basket with a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean muslin cloth. Spread the drained rice on top and fold the edges of the cloth loosely over it. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 20–25 minutes until the grains are translucent, tender all the way through, and sticky.Glutinous rice must be steamed, not boiled. Boiling turns it into a gummy paste, the steam gives it the right chewy, separate-yet-sticky texture.
- Make the coconut soaking sauce. While the rice steams, combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just begins to simmer. Remove the pandan leaf. Keep warm.
- Soak the rice in the sauce. Transfer the hot steamed rice immediately to a bowl. Pour the warm coconut sauce over the rice and fold gently to combine. Cover the bowl and let the rice rest for 20–30 minutes, the rice will absorb most of the sauce and turn creamy and slightly glossy.Pour the sauce over while the rice is still hot, and let the rest happen slowly. Rushing the absorption by stirring or pressing gives you paste rather than individual grains that cling together properly.
- Make the drizzle sauce. Combine the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Assemble and serve. Peel and slice the mangoes. Spoon the coconut rice onto plates, arrange the mango alongside, drizzle with the coconut sauce, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds or crispy mung beans if using. Serve while the rice is still just slightly warm.
The mango matters as much as the rice
Thai mango sticky rice is a seasonal dish in Thailand, tied to mango harvest season because the dish only works with mangoes that are properly ripe, smooth-fleshed and intensely sweet. In the US, Ataulfo or champagne mangoes are the best substitute for the Thai varieties used traditionally, yellow-skinned, small, no fiber, silky texture when ripe.
Regular red-green mangoes can taste flat and stringy here in a way that unbalances the whole dessert.
Make it your own
Claire’s note
The rice and drizzle sauce can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheat the rice briefly in the microwave with a splash of coconut milk to loosen it, and warm the sauce separately. The mango should always be sliced fresh just before serving. For a more dramatic presentation, use black glutinous rice soaked alongside white for a purple-and-white contrast, the technique is the same, just increase the steam time by about 10 minutes.
Serve with
Thai mango sticky rice is a complete dessert on its own, no accompaniment needed beyond the mango and the sauce already in the recipe. For more from the asian food the Asian recipes collection have it all.
Add Thai mango sticky rice to your weekly meal planner, soak the rice the night before and the rest comes together in under an hour. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.
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Thai Mango Sticky Rice
- Total Time: 270 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Description
A delicious Thai dessert featuring glutinous rice soaked in sweet coconut milk served alongside ripe mango slices.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Thai glutinous rice
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional)
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (for drizzle)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for drizzle)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (for drizzle)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2–3 ripe mangoes (Ataulfo or champagne)
- Toasted sesame seeds or crispy yellow mung beans (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the rice. Rinse the glutinous rice in several changes of cold water until it runs mostly clear. Submerge in cold water and soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain thoroughly before steaming.
- Steam the rice. Line a steamer basket with a double layer of cheesecloth. Spread the drained rice on top and fold the edges of the cloth loosely over it. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 20–25 minutes until the grains are translucent and tender.
- Make the coconut soaking sauce. Combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just begins to simmer. Remove the pandan leaf and keep warm.
- Soak the rice in the sauce. Transfer the hot steamed rice to a bowl. Pour the warm coconut sauce over the rice and fold gently to combine. Cover the bowl and let the rice rest for 20–30 minutes.
- Make the drizzle sauce. Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Assemble and serve. Peel and slice the mangoes. Spoon the coconut rice onto plates, arrange the mango alongside, drizzle with the coconut sauce, and garnish as desired.
Notes
The rice and drizzle sauce can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use Ataulfo or champagne mangoes for the best flavor.
- Prep Time: 240 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
