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Mango sticky rice, or Kao Niew Mamuang (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง) in Thai language, is one of the most well-loved desserts around the world, just like the Italian Tiramisu, the Spanish Basque Burnt Cheesecake and the Southeast Asian Onde Onde. Whenever I visit Thailand, whether in a restaurant or food court, I’d always order this delicious dessert. The rich sweetness of the mango, both a stark contrast and perfect complement to the salty-sweetness of the glutinous rice and coconut sauce.

What is Glutinous Rice?

Seriously! Who would have thought rice will go so well with fresh fruit? Desserts in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, mostly uses rice flour or glutinous rice flour, which produce a sticky texture. Glutinous rice flour is made from glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice or sweet rice or mochi rice. This rice is sometimes steamed with coconut milk and pandan leaves, and coloured with the beautiful natural butterfly blue pea flower to make local desserts such as kueh salat or pulut tai tai. This same rice can be made into savoury snacks such as the lo mai gai, or Chinese rice dumplings.

Ingredients for Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Thai mango sticky rice is basically made of steamed glutinous rice, fresh ripe mangoes and sweet coconut milk. The classic version uses Thai mangoes and is topped with a delicious salted coconut drizzling sauce and crispy mung beans. Though, I didn’t think the crispy mung beans add much elevation to the dish and so I did without it in this recipe. Here is the list of ingredients:

Glutinous rice – I used the Thai white glutinous rice, which is naturally gluten-free and low in fat. Be sure the rinse the rice a couple of times, then soak it for a few hours before steaming it. I usually soak it overnight before I cook it the next day.
Fresh ripe mango – The emphasis here is fresh and ripe. If the mango is not fresh or even a bit raw, it’s not going to be good for this dessert. In Thailand, they use the local Thai mangoes, but it’s not always available where I live (in Singapore). We sometimes have mangoes from the Philippines and Australia. I usually buy the mangoes and let it sit at room temperature for a few days for it to let it ripen a bit more before cutting it.
Coconut milk – The ideal choice is to use fresh coconut milk. But these days, it’s very difficult to find freshly grated coconut to make fresh coconut milk. So I usually buy this brand from the local supermarkets – Heng Guan fresh natural coconut milk. It’s not too diluted nor too thick and I find it’s the perfect consistency for this recipe.

Sugar – Most recipes calls for granulated white sugar, I used stevia sweetener in this recipe instead, as a healthier refined sugar-free alternative.
Salt – Salt helps elevate the taste and complement the sweetness. Just a tiny bit of it will do.
Rice flour – Rice flour is added to the coconut milk to thicken the drizzling sauce. You can also use corn starch (or corn flour as we refer to corn starch as corn flour in Asia).
Mung bean – As I mentioned above, I didn’t think this makes a big difference, thus I didn’t use mung beans in this recipe. You are supposed to boil it until softened and pan roast it till crispy.

Watch how to make Thai Mango Sticky Rice on YouTube

Tips on making Thai Sticky Rice

Mango stick rice is best served the day it’s made. Otherwise the glutinous rice turns harder and coconut typically turns bad if left out of the fridge for more than 2 days.
That said, you can still make the coconut milk sauce 1-2 days in advance, just be sure to leave it in the fridge.
When steaming the glutinous rice, make sure it’s spread as flat as possible on a heat-proof pan so the rice can be cooked more thoroughly and evenly.
Use fresh ingredients, that is, fresh mangos and fresh coconut milk.
To make the rose shape (like in the picture below), make sure to slice the mango as thin as possible so the slices curve in easily. Of course, making a rose shape is really just making the dish more fancy. You can just cut the mangoes normally and serve with the rice and coconut sauce.
Use fresh slightly overripe mangoes, the mango will make or break this dessert.
When adding the coconut sauce to the steamed rice, do make sure the sauce is hot and added to the rice immediately after the rice is steamed cooked. Having both components hot makes the mixing easier. Leave the rice to absorb the coconut sauce while it cools down, it takes about 45 to 60 minutes. You can see the difference in the rice texture after that.

How to store Mango Sticky Rice

It’s best to enjoy this dessert the same day it’s made. If you really have leftovers, then cover with cling wrap or in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Rice will turn harder, to soften it, just reheat the rice by steaming it for 2 to 3 minutes, however the texture will not be as good as day 1. The coconut drizzling sauce, if kept in the fridge, should last for 2-3 days.