Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup sticky rice (glutinous white rice)
• 1.25 cups water
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large (about 1 lb) ripe mango
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (white or black)
• 2 sprigs fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the sticky rice under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer, stirring gently with your fingers for about 30 seconds until the water runs mostly clear, which removes excess starch.

2. 2

   Pour the 1.25 cups water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, watching until large bubbles break the surface rapidly, about 3–4 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the rinsed rice to the boiling water and stir once with a wooden spoon to combine.

4. 4

   Reduce heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer without stirring for 15 minutes, until all water is absorbed and rice is tender but still has a slight firmness.

5. 5

   While the rice cooks, pour the 13.5 oz can of coconut milk into a small saucepan and stir in the 0.5 cup sugar and 0.25 teaspoon salt over medium heat.

6. 6

   Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for about 3–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

7. 7

   Remove from heat and set aside—do not boil, or the coconut milk will separate.

8. 8

   Remove the rice from heat and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl while still warm.

9. 9

   Pour about three-quarters of the warm coconut sauce over the hot rice and stir gently with a rubber spatula until the rice is evenly coated and has absorbed most of the liquid, about 2 minutes.

10. 10

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb remaining moisture and cool slightly.

11. 11

    While the rice rests, hold the mango upright on a cutting board with the narrow edge facing you and slice straight down along the pit on one side, creating a wide, flat piece.

12. 12

    Rotate the mango 180 degrees and slice down the other side of the pit the same way, creating a second wide, flat piece; discard the pit.

13. 13

    Place a mango piece flesh-side up on a cutting board and use a small sharp knife to score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, cutting through the flesh but not the skin—space the cuts about 0.5 inches apart.

14. 14

    Gently push the skin upward with your thumbs from underneath to pop the cubes outward, then slide the knife along the skin to separate the cubes into a bowl; repeat with the second mango piece.

15. 15

    Divide the sticky rice between two serving bowls, placing it in a mound slightly off-center.

16. 16

    Arrange the fresh mango cubes in a cluster next to each rice mound, leaning them against the rice.

17. 17

    Drizzle the reserved coconut sauce evenly over each serving, allowing it to pool around the rice and mango.

18. 18

    Sprinkle 1.5 teaspoons of sesame seeds over each bowl and place one mint sprig on top if desired, then serve immediately at room temperature.

Tools you’ll need

• fine-mesh strainer
• medium saucepan with lid
• small saucepan
• wooden spoon
• rubber spatula
• medium mixing bowl
• plastic wrap
• cutting board
• small sharp knife
• two serving bowls

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