Mango Sticky Rice Has Always Been My Summer Dessert

Cake friends,

Ali here! Last week, a box arrived at my doorstep covered in Sharpie: FRAGILE FRAGILE FRAGILE. Inside were 14 fresh mangos grown and shipped by my aunt Thiraporn. The tree, which was grafted from my grandparents ten years ago, is now heavy with fruit. Her writing alongside the box feels like less of a precaution and more of a declaration of what’s inside: the best, juiciest mangos in the world.

My grandparents came to the U.S. from Thailand in the 1970s and after a short stint in the Northeast, they eventually settled in South Florida, drawn to the Southern state due to the high humidity and the abundance of produce, like mangos, that reminded them of home. I spent each summer standing beside my grandpa and his homemade fruit-picking contraption—an angled basket from Home Depot duct taped to a long wooden stick—scooping the mangoes into large black trash bags while my grandma steamed sticky rice for dessert. I’ve watched her make this dish rice many times; by now, the steps live in my hands.

It’s hard to think of another Thai dessert that has the same reach and fandom. I’ve been eating mango sticky rice since I was a baby, but the dessert is everywhere: transformed into cakes (I even made it into a layered cake), used to flavor matcha, stuffed into rice paper, and reimagined as tiramisu. But I always come back to my grandma’s version.

She uses coconut cream instead of coconut milk enriched with cornstarch, and I do the same. The coconut cream is incredibly lush on its own, turning the rice glossy and tender without the need to thicken it with cornstarch. Ataúlfo mangoes (also sometimes labeled as champagne or honey) are the best you can find in the states. They’re smaller and less fibrous than other varieties like Kent, with a bright-orange hue and flesh that’s so sweet, it’s almost floral. When ripe, they should give slightly when pressed with your fingertips.

We always top it with crispy mung beans, like she used to eat as a kid in Thailand, but sesame seeds are an apt substitution that add a crunchy nuttiness. If mangos aren’t in season for you, the sticky rice and salted coconut sauce lends itself well to sliced peaches, fresh figs, and even honey dew melon.

Find the recipe below, plus what else we’re sinking our teeth into this weekend.

Mango Sticky Rice Recipe

By Ali Domrongchai

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous rice, such as Three Ladies

• Cheesecloth

• 1 (about 13.5-ounce) can coconut cream

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 ripe mangoes, preferably Ataúlfo

• 2 tablespoons dried mung beans or toasted white sesame seeds (optional)

1. Soak and prepare the rice. Rinse the rice in cool water and let soak for at least four hours or overnight. Drain the rice.

2. Steam the rice. Add roughly two inches of water to a heavy-bottomed pot and prepare a steamer or basket. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and line the steamer basket with a piece of wet cheesecloth. Transfer the rice onto the cheesecloth and spread into an even layer. Using a finger or back end of a fork, poke holes about two inches apart and around the rice, spacing them evenly apart. Place the steamer basket in the steamer. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until the rice is cooked through but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring 1 (about 13.5-ounce) can coconut cream, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved, for 3 minutes to thicken slightly. Turn off the heat. When the rice is ready, transfer it to a medium bowl. Gently stir in about half of the coconut sauce. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the rice to absorb the sauce.

4. OPTIONAL/Heat the mung beans. If using mung beans, soak the beans in water for at least 2 to 4 hours, or overnight, then drain and pat them completely dry. Heat a pan over medium heat for two minutes and then dry-roast until golden, crispy, and crunchy, consistently shifting them around for about three to four minutes.

5. Serve. Peel, pit, and slice 2 ripe mangoes about 1/2-inch thick. Serve the sticky rice with more of the coconut sauce spooned on top, with the mangoes on the side. Garnish with toasted mung beans or white sesame seeds if desired.

Make this recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @alidomrongchai and @cake_zine

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