Thai Sticky Rice with Mango

O mango, how sweet you are!

I must admit that I was a late bloomer when it came to mango loving. I will blame it on the lack of decent mangoes where I used to live. However, once I moved to Toronto I scoured Chinatown last year and devoured the Ataulfos.  This year, I was on a mission to find the even sweeter Indian Alphonso mango.  While I escaped Turkey unscathed from the erupting volcano, the Alphonso mangoes did not share the same fate. Their shipment had been delayed and I initially couldn’t find any at the Gerrard India Bazaar (aka Little India). Luckily, when I came back last weekend, I scooped up a case, split them with a friend and have been enjoying them all week.  Arguably the best mango. 🙂

I used to wonder why mess with mangoes when they taste so good all by themselves? I love pretty much all (heat tolerable) dishes with mangoes, but when I have delicious fresh mangoes, I just want to eat them the way they are.  I find it hard to incorporate the mangoes into a dish that may mask their flavour.   No worries with Mango and Sticky Rice, because mango and coconut are simply meant to be together. They are definitely better than the sum of their parts alone.  The sweet coconut creaminess envelopes the juicy Alphonso mangoes on a bed of creamy, yet sticky, coconut-flavoured rice. The benefit of making this dish at home, is that you can make the dish as sweet as you want.  Not much sugar was needed to be added when the mangoes are brimming with taste.  There are many recipes for Mango Sticky Rice, but I adapted my version from Taste Buddies.

This is my submission to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Cafe Lynnylu.

Thai Sticky Rice with Mango

4 ripe mangoes
2 cups glutinous rice
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
1/4 cup of sugar, more or less, to taste
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds

1. Wash the rice, soak it overnight and then drain.

2. Wrap the rice in cheesecloth and then steam it until just done (about 25 minutes).  Alternatively a rice cooker works well too.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan gently heat 1.5 cups of coconut milk together with less than 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 tsp of salt. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Taste the mixture to see if you need the rest of the sugar and salt. Keep warm.

4. Remove the sticky rice and put it into a large bowl. Add most of the warm coconut milk to the rice and stir well with a fork to coat the grains but don’t mash the rice. Reserve a little of the milk to drizzle over the rice when serving, saving 1/3 cup or so. Set the rice aside to soak for an hour.

5. Just before serving, peel and cut the mangoes into thick slices. Arrange the sticky rice on a serving plate with mangos. Drizzle with remaining coconut milk and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 4.