Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dish (Printable)

Sweet mango paired with creamy coconut sticky rice for a flavorful and textured treat.

# What You Need:

→ Sticky Rice

01 - 1 cup glutinous (sweet) rice
02 - Water for soaking and cooking

→ Coconut Sauce

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

→ Mango

06 - 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

→ Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons coconut cream (optional)
08 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or mung beans (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Rinse glutinous rice under cold water until clear; soak in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
02 - Drain soaked rice and steam in cheesecloth-lined steamer basket for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
03 - Combine coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves without boiling.
04 - Transfer steamed rice to a mixing bowl; pour in three quarters of the coconut sauce and gently stir to coat. Cover and let absorb for 10 to 15 minutes.
05 - Peel and slice the mangoes evenly.
06 - Plate the sticky rice, arrange mango slices alongside, drizzle with remaining coconut sauce, and garnish with coconut cream and toasted sesame seeds or mung beans if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The rice becomes impossibly creamy without any cream—just coconut milk and patience doing the work.
  • Fresh mango slices against warm rice is a contrast that feels like a small luxury, and honestly, it's cheaper than dessert anywhere else.
  • You can make this ahead, and it actually tastes better when everything has time to settle together.
02 -
  • Don't skip the soaking step—it's the difference between rice that's tender and rice that's hard and disappointing, and no amount of coconut sauce fixes that.
  • Never refrigerate this dish once assembled; the rice will harden overnight and turn waxy, which completely changes what makes this special in the first place.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds or mung beans in a dry skillet for just a minute or two before sprinkling—this wakes up their flavor and adds a crucial textural contrast that elevates everything.
  • Make your coconut sauce ahead of time and let it cool to room temperature, then gently warm it again just before serving; this gives it time to develop a deeper, more rounded flavor.
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