Sticky Rice with Mango

If you've been to a Thai restaurant, you've probably tried sticky rice with mango. It seems to be one of the national desserts of Thailand, equivalent to apple pie or chocolate chip cookies here in America.

It is delicious! The rice is, yes, very sticky, and slightly sweet with the subtle flavor of coconut milk. The juicy, sweet mango is a perfect counterpoint, although fresh pineapple is good, too.

I found a recipe on epicurious.com (from the June 1994 Gourmet), but have since adapted it. The original recipe included a sauce to drizzle over the final product, but didn't use a whole can of coconut milk. I found it annoying to store the leftover milk, and we eat this up so quickly that I decided to revise the recipe using more rice and a whole can of coconut milk. I made it a little sweeter and omitted the sauce. It's still delicious, and even easier. You do need to plan ahead to soak the rice overnight, but there is not much "active" work involved in making this dish.

Sticky Rice with Mango
2 1/4 cups glutinous (sweet) rice
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar (9/26/08: or up to 3/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
fresh mango, peeled and cut
toasted sesame seeds, optional

1. In a bowl wash rice well in several changes of cold water until water is clear. Soak rice in cold water to cover overnight.
2. Drain rice well in a sieve. Set sieve over a large deep saucepan of simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30-40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).
3. While rice is cooking, heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Put tender rice and coconut mixture into glass 9" x 13" pan (or other appropriate dish), and stir well with spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes, until coconut milk is absorbed.
5. To serve, cut a square or rectangle of rice, and put on plate. Sprinkle on sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with mango.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for just one mango. This is in no way enough for us. You'll probably want two or three.
• The rice is special. The grains are short and fat. It's called glutinous or sweet rice, and will probably be from Korea or Thailand. Check the international aisle of your grocery store, or else an Asian store.
• In the past I've used a sieve and pot to steam the rice, but now I use a rice cooker with a steamer insert. Both methods work well.
• I store the leftover rice at room temperature, but keep the fruit refrigerated.
• UPDATED NOTE: Even at room temperature the rice can get stiff. Microwaving a portion for a few seconds makes it softer and pleasantly warm (don't go for hot). You might also try using just 2 cups of rice.
• UPDATE #2 (9/26/08): Our local Trader Joe's sells frozen diced mango. It thaws out pretty well--not mushy. Fresh is of course better, but this is easy and reliable (always ripe, always available, not stringy...).