Rhea's Rundown
Mango sticky rice is such a treat, and one of my favorite things to eat! Sticky rice is key to any Chinese New Year festivity, so I figured why not turn it into an opportunity to make my beloved desert. (Technically, this dish is considered Thai.) This recipe is very simple to make, just make sure you leave yourself time to soak the rice overnight. I decided to try the editor’s note of soaking half a portion of black Thai sticky rice (ordered online) with the regular sticky rice, which turns it a pretty purple color. To steam the sticky rice, I used a traditional Southeast Asian cooking method that utilizes a metal steaming pot with a conical basket. You can find this type of steamer at Thai, Lao, or Vietnamese grocery stores, or online. A rice cooker should work just fine, too. The coconut milk sticky rice can keep up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Ingredients – Makes 8
- 3 cups sticky rice, soaked overnight in water or thin coconut milk and drained
- 2 cups canned or fresh coconut milk
- ¾ cup palm sugar, or own sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ripe mangoes, or peaches or papayas
- Mint or basil sprigs (optional for garnish)
Directions
1. Steam the sticky rice until tender.
2. Meanwhile, place the coconut milk in a heavy pot and heat over medium heat until hot. Do not boil. Add the sugar and salt and stir to dissolve completely.
3. When the stick rice is tender, turn it out into a bowl and pour 1 cup of the hot coconut milk over; reserve the rest. Stir to mix the liquid into the rice, then let stand for 20 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
4. Meanwhile, peel the mangoes. The mango pit is flat and you want to slice the mango flesh off the pit as cleanly as possible. One at a time, lay the mangoes on a narrow side on a cutting board and slice lengthwise about ½ inch from the center—you knife should cut just along the flat side of the pit, shift over a fraction of an inch more until you can slice downward. Repeat on the other side of the pit, giving you two hemispherical pieces of mango. Lay each mango half flat and slice thinly crosswise.
5. To serve individually, place an oval mound of sticky rice on each dessert plate and place a sliced half-mango decoratively beside it. Top with a sprig of mint or basil (if desired). Or place the mango slices on a platter and pass it around, together with a serving bowl containing the rice, allowing guests to serve themselves. Stir the remaining sweetened coconut milk thoroughly, transfer to a small serving bowl or cruet, and pass it separately, with a spoon, so guests can spoon on extra as they wish.
Alford, Jeffrey; Duguid, Naomi. “Coconut Milk Sticky Rice with Mangoes.” Epicurious. 3 Fe uary 2015. Web. 2000. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/coconut-milk-sticky-rice-with-mangoes-233842
Rhea Torreon
