Thai: Mango with Sticky Rice

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 3)

Mangoes are a tropical fruit that’s juicy and sweet. Although they are native to Southeast Asia, most grocery store mangoes in the U.S. are grown in Florida, California, and Mexico. Mango connoisseurs claim that Alphonso mangos imported from India are the sweetest, but Ataulfo mangoes (aka “honey mangoes” or “champagne mangoes”) are cheaper and more readily available. Both are yellow and smaller than the more common Tommy Atkins mangoes. In the U.S., peak season for mangoes runs from May through September. This very popular seasonal Thai dessert makes use of fresh ripe mangos made sweeter when topped with a coconut sauce (also see video).  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet glutinous rice
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut cream
• 3 tablespoons coconut syrup (Torani preferred)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water) [or sub arrowroot powder]
• 3 large mangos, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
• Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)

Procedure:

1. Cook rice in rice cooker per manufacturer’s instructions (usually 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water)
2. Make the sauce: add coconut cream, coconut syrup, agave nectar, and salt to large bowl, mix well (taste and adjust sweetness); set aside ¼ cup of unthickened sauce to use as rice seasoning
3. Bring remaining sauce to boil in a saucepan
4. Thicken sauce: slowly stir in cornstarch slurry until sauce is thickened (you do not have to use the entire amount); allow sauce to cool to room temperature before using
5. When the rice is cooked, transfer cooked rice to a bowl and stir in unthickened sauce; mix well with your hands
6. Cover bowl and let rice stand until coconut milk mixture is absorbed (about 10 minutes)
7. Peel and slice mangos, set aside (discard pit)
8. To serve: ladle thickened sauce onto dessert plate, then mold ⅓ of the seasoned rice on top of the sauce; decorate with mango slices, then drizzle additional sauce on top (if desired)
9. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh mint leaves (optional: also add black sesame seeds)

Note: Like bananas, mangoes are sweeter when fully ripe. Plan ahead and buy your mangoes early, then allow them to ripen in a paper bag until they are completely yellow and slightly soft before using.