Mango sticky rice
Silky coconut sticky rice with sweet ripe mango and crunchy toasted mung beans — a simple, showy Thai pudding for warm evenings.
Mango sticky rice (khao niao mamuang) is Thailand’s easiest show-off dessert: sweet, fragrant mango with silkily coconut-infused sticky rice and a crisp toasted garnish. It’s perfect for late-summer mangoes or when you want something impressive with minimal faff.
The trick is in timing — soak the glutinous rice properly and warm the coconut mix without boiling so the rice stays glossy and not claggy. Serve warm or at room temperature for best flavour.
Ingredients
- 300 g glutinous rice
- water — for soaking, steaming and a small cornflour slurry
- 400 ml coconut milk — full-fat, canned gives best texture
- 80 g caster sugar
- 5 ml sea salt
- 1 pandan leaf — optional, adds floral aroma
- 5 ml cornflour — for thickening the drizzle
- 2 ripe mangoes — choose fragrant, yielding fruit (about 500–600g flesh total)
- 30 g toasted split yellow mung beans — crispy garnish; toasted until golden
Equipment
- steamer or bamboo steamer
- muslin or clean tea towel
- small saucepan
- measuring jug
Instructions
Rinse the glutinous rice under cold running water, rubbing between your fingers, until the water runs almost clear. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Soak for 4 hours.
Drain the rice well. Line a steamer basket or bamboo steamer with muslin or a clean tea towel, spread the rice in an even layer and steam over gently simmering water for 25 minutes, until grains are tender and glossy.
While the rice steams, put 400 ml coconut milk, caster sugar, sea salt and the pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Warm gently over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves — do NOT let it boil. Remove the pandan leaf.
Measure and reserve about 60 ml of the coconut mixture for serving. Pour the remaining warm coconut milk over the hot steamed rice, fold gently to combine, then cover the bowl and leave to rest for 30 minutes so the rice soaks up the coconut milk.
Make the drizzle: mix the cornflour with 1 tsp cold water to a smooth slurry. Put the reserved 60 ml coconut mixture into a small pan, whisk in the slurry and warm for 1–2 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and cool a little.
Peel and slice the ripe mangoes into long slices. To serve, mound a portion of coconut sticky rice on a plate, fan over the mango slices, sprinkle with toasted split yellow mung beans and finish with a generous drizzle of the coconut sauce.
Tips
- Soak the rice for at least 4 hours; if you’re pushed for time, 2 hours will work but the texture won’t be as even.
- Use full-fat canned coconut milk for creaminess — carton 'drink' varieties give a thinner result.
- Warm the coconut milk only until the sugar dissolves; boiling can make it split and greasy.
- Toast the split yellow mung beans in a dry frying pan until golden for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan — they go from raw to burnt quickly.
- Make the rice and coconut mixture ahead and gently reheat the rice over a steamer for 5 minutes before serving if needed.
Substitutions
glutinous rice → sushi rice, prepared and drained (use 350 g cooked equivalent)
Noticeably differenttoasted split yellow mung beans → toasted sesame seeds
Stays closeripe mangoes → frozen mango chunks, thawed and drained
Stays closecoconut milk → reduced-fat coconut milk (same volume)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 670
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 110 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 43 g
- Sugar
- 600 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this ahead?
Yes — prepare the rice and keep it covered at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat gently over a steamer for 5 minutes before serving and add the coconut drizzle fresh.
Why is my sticky rice hard in the middle?
Most likely it wasn’t soaked long enough or the steaming time was too short. Always soak at least 4 hours and steam until grains are translucent and tender.
Can I use regular jasmine rice?
Regular jasmine rice will give a different, less sticky texture. For authentic chew and gloss use glutinous rice; sushi rice is the closest pantry substitute.
How do I choose a ripe mango?
A ripe mango yields to gentle pressure, smells sweet at the stem and has bright colour. If it’s rock-hard it won’t be sweet or fragrant enough.
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