# Thai Mango Sticky Rice

> Glutinous rice is **soaked for 4 hours and steamed — never boiled**. Boiling turns it to porridge. And the sweetened coconut milk is poured over **while the rice is hot**, then left to rest 20 minutes so it drinks it all in.

**Thai Cuisine · 285 min · 4 servings · 420 kcal per serving**

Mango sticky rice is Thailand's most famous dessert, sold on the street through mango season. Glutinous rice saturated with sweet coconut milk, with slices of ripe mango alongside. Three ingredients, and all the success is in how the rice is cooked.

## Ingredients


### Rice
- 1.5 cups — glutinous rice
- 3 cups — water for soaking

### The sauce
- 1.5 cups — coconut milk
- 0.5 cup — sugar
- 0.5 tsp — salt

### Sauce
- 0.5 cup — coconut milk (for the topping)
- 1 tsp — rice or corn starch
- 1 pinch — salt

### To serve
- 2 — ripe mangoes
- 2 tbsp — toasted sesame or mung beans

## Method

1. **Soak** — Rinse the glutinous rice until the water runs clear and soak it **4 to 6 hours** (or overnight). Soaking is essential — without it the core stays hard.
2. **Steam** — Drain the rice, put it in a muslin-lined steamer over boiling water and cover. **20 to 25 minutes** until translucent and sticky. Turn it halfway.
3. **The sweet sauce** — Heat the coconut milk with the sugar and salt until dissolved — **without boiling**.
4. **Soak the rice** — Transfer the hot rice to a bowl, pour the sweet sauce over it and fold gently. Cover and leave **20 minutes** until it has absorbed all the liquid.
5. **Topping sauce** — Heat the half cup of coconut milk with the starch and a pinch of salt until slightly thickened. This is the savoury sauce poured over the top.
6. **Serve** — Put a mound of rice on the plate with mango slices alongside, pour the sauce over the rice and scatter the sesame.

## Tips

- Glutinous rice is steamed, not boiled — boiling turns it to porridge.
- Soak at least 4 hours — without it the core stays hard.
- The sauce goes on while the rice is hot — cold rice will not absorb it.
- The topping sauce is deliberately a little salty — the contrast with the sweet rice and mango is intentional.

## FAQ

### Can I use ordinary rice?
No — glutinous rice is an entirely different variety whose starch is all amylopectin, which is why it sticks. Ordinary rice gives a completely different result. It is sold in Asian grocers.

### I have no steamer — what do I do?
A metal colander over a pot of boiling water, lined with muslin or a clean cloth, and covered. It works perfectly.

### Which mango is best?
Thai mango (nam dok mai) is the original — very sweet with little fibre. Indian or Owais mango is an excellent substitute. The important thing is that it is very ripe.

---

Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/thai-cuisine/thai-mango-sticky-rice
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-30