Equipment
Ingredients
Sticky Rice Base
- 200 g glutinous rice
Sweet Coconut Cream
- 200 ml full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
- 80 g white granulated sugar
- 3 g salt
Salty Coconut Sauce
- 60 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 2 g salt
- 4 g cornstarch
- 15 ml water, cold
Assembly
- 2 ripe mangoes
- 10 g split peeled mung beans, dry roasted until golden
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 356 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 41 g
- Sodium
- 498 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 432 mg
- Calcium
- 35 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 57 mg
- Phosphorus
- 105 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 81 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 55 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 1.5 mg
- Folate
- 89 mcg
- Water
- 177 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the glutinous rice in a fine mesh sieve or bowl and rinse under cold running water, agitating the grains with your hands. Repeat until the water runs completely clear to remove excess surface starch.
Transfer the rinsed rice to a bowl, cover completely with cold water, and allow to soak at room temperature. This hydrates the grains so they steam evenly.
Drain the rice thoroughly. Line a steamer with a damp cheesecloth, place the rice evenly on the cloth, and steam over rapidly boiling water until the rice is tender, translucent, and chewy.
While the rice is in its final 5 minutes of steaming, prepare the sweet coconut cream. In a medium saucepan, combine 200ml coconut milk, sugar, and 3g salt. Heat gently over medium-low heat until the sugar entirely dissolves. Do not let the mixture come to a boil.
Transfer the hot steamed rice into a mixing bowl with a lid. Immediately pour the hot sweet coconut cream over the rice. Fold gently to combine, then cover the bowl tight and let it sit undisturbed to absorb the liquid.
To make the salty sauce, mix the cold water and cornstarch in a small cup. In a clean saucepan, gently heat the remaining 60ml coconut milk and 2g salt. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Peel the mangoes and slice the flesh away from the flat central pit. Cut the halves crosswise into thick, neat wedges.
Divide the warm, sweet sticky rice among serving plates. Arrange the mango wedges elegantly beside the rice. Drizzle the salty coconut sauce heavily over the rice and garnish with the toasted mung beans.
Chef's Notes
- The hallmark of excellent mango sticky rice is the temperature contrast. The rice should be served pleasantly warm, the mango slightly chilled, and the sauce at room temperature.
- Do not aggressively stir the hot rice into the coconut cream. Use a slicing motion with a spatula to prevent breaking the delicate grains.
- A hint of salt is absolutely essential to this dessert. The salty topping sauce cuts through the rich sweetness of the sticky rice and highlights the floral notes of the fresh mango.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Rice hardens significantly when chilled. Reheat gently in the microwave with a damp paper towel before serving.
Troubleshooting
Rice has a hard, crunchy core
Cause: Rice was not soaked long enough or steam escaped during cooking
Fix: Sprinkle the rice with a few tablespoons of water, reseal the steamer tightly, and steam for an additional 10 minutes
Prevention: Ensure a minimum soak time of 4 hours and maintain a tight seal on the steamer
Sticky rice is a wet, mushy paste
Cause: Using regular jasmine rice instead of glutinous rice, or boiling instead of steaming
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always steam sweet/glutinous rice rather than boiling it in water
Cultural Context
Khao Niao Mamuang is an iconic Thai street food and dessert, historically consumed during the peak mango harvest season in April and May. The intricate balance of sweet, salty, and incredibly rich flavors perfectly embodies the overarching philosophy of Thai culinary tradition.










