Mango and Sticky Rice (Kao Niew Mamuang)

August 31, 2022

Mango and Sticky Rice (Kao Niew Mamuang) © kvalifood.com

Thailand’s most famous dessert, and for good reason. Sticky rice is soaked in a coconut syrup, served alongside ripe mango, drizzled with a salty coconut sauce, and topped with crispy mung beans. The recipe below includes both a white and a purple sticky rice option - the purple version has a chewier texture and a unique flavour.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

The Components

2-3 sweet, ripe mangoes (estimate 1 mango per 2 people)

White Coconut Sticky Rice

2 ¼ dl white glutinous rice (see notes)
1 ¾ dl coconut milk
125 ml granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Purple Coconut Sticky Rice (alternative)

1 ¾ dl white glutinous rice
60 ml black glutinous rice
125 ml coconut milk
125 ml granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Salted Coconut Sauce

1-1 1/2 tsp rice flour (see notes)
1 Tbsp water
125 ml coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt

Crispy Mung Beans

2 Tbsp shelled, split mung beans
4 ¾ dl water

Directions

For the Coconut Sticky Rice

White rice: Wash the rice by covering it with cold water and swishing it around until the water is cloudy. Pour off the water and repeat 4-5 times until the rinse water runs almost clear. Soak the rice in cold water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain well, shaking off as much residual water as possible, then steam as described below.

Purple rice: Wash the white rice as described above and set aside in a bowl. Rinse the black rice once, then soak it in 2 cups of warm water until the water turns purple, 10-20 minutes (longer soaking means darker colour). Drain the black rice, reserving the purple water. Pour the purple water over the washed white rice and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Cover the drained black rice with fresh cold water and also soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To cook the black rice: drain it, place in a small pot, cover with 2 cups of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 7-9 minutes until fully cooked. Drain well. Fold the cooked black rice into the soaked (and now purple-tinted) white rice until evenly distributed. Be gentle - the white rice is brittle after soaking.

Steaming (both versions): Preheat a steamer over high heat until the water boils vigorously. If using a rack-style steamer, line the perforated rack with muslin or lint-free cheesecloth and pour the rice into the middle, leaving space around the edges for steam to come up. Fold the cloth over the rice and steam for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.

Coconut syrup: While the rice steams, combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small pot. Stir over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

When the rice is done, immediately transfer it to a bowl and pour the warm coconut syrup over it. Stir to mix well. Cover and let the rice absorb the syrup for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, fold the bottom of the rice up to the top with a spatula, cover again, and let sit for at least another 30 minutes before serving.

For the Crispy Mung Beans

Rinse the beans twice in cold water. Add them to a small pot with 2 cups of cold water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water, then let dry on paper towel.

Toast the beans in a lightly greased pan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently (gently at first - they will be soft). When they are dry, crunchy, and light golden brown, about 7-8 minutes, they are done. Cool on a plate and store in an airtight container.

For the Salted Coconut Sauce

Stir the rice flour and water together in a bowl until completely dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk and salt. Pour into a small pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, just until it boils. Remove from the heat.

To Serve

Place a portion of sticky rice on a plate. Drizzle with the salted coconut sauce, sprinkle with crispy mung beans, and serve alongside freshly cut mango. The rice should be served at room temperature or slightly warm.

Notes

White glutinous rice may be labelled “Thai Sweet Rice” or “Glutinous Rice.” Check that it is a product of Thailand.
The black rice used for the purple version is actually very dark purple.
Some coconut milks are thicker than others. Use only 1 tsp of rice flour if your coconut milk already looks thick.
The purple rice method works by extracting purple-coloured water to dye the white rice, while cooking the black rice separately. This way both rices end up properly cooked, rather than the usual approach where the black rice stays too hard.
To reheat refrigerated sticky rice, spray it with a little water and microwave until hot and soft.