Coconut and Mango Sticky Rice

The ultimate in sunshine-food, this Thai sticky mango rice with coconut suits the warmer summer weather beautifully. If you’re cooking for guests it’s a great easy option, as it can be made in advance and left to chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of tapioca starch to it to thicken it up and give the coconut sauce extra body, but don’t worry if you can’t get hold of it, it will still work well without. In terms of timing, note that the rice needs to be soaked so you might want to do this the night beforehand. (If you’re making it for a coeliac, make sure you use gluten-free tapioca starch, coconut milk and coconut cream.)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g sticky Thai rice or sushi rice
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp coconut cream (plus extra to serve)
  • 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1-2 tsp tapioca starch (optional)
  • 2 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted

METHOD

Soak the riceĀ in cold water overnight (or for at least four hours). When you’re ready to cook it, rinse it through until the water is clear.

Place the rice in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and cook over a medium heat for 10-12 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), simmering until all the water has been absorbed. You may need to top up with water and give it a stir from time to time to prevent it from sticking. Check the rice has cooked through, remove from the heat and place it in a bowl to cool to room temperature.

While your rice is cooking, place your coconut milk, coconut cream and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over a low heat until combined. You can add a teaspoon or two of tapioca starch to create a thicker coconut liquid if you want a stickier dessert, but this is not essential. Pour two-thirds of the coconut liquid over the rice, keeping the rest back in a container. Once the rice and the leftover coconut liquid have cooled down, finish by chilling both of them in the fridge for 1 hour.

To serve, pour the remaining coconut liquid over the rice, top with fresh mango and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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