Thai · Desserts

Mango Sticky Rice

Warm coconut-soaked glutinous rice with cold ripe mango and a salty coconut sauce poured over. Naturally vegan, and one of the best desserts in the world.

40 min prep and cooking plus 4 hr 25 min to 4 hr 30 min soaking 5 hr 5 min to 5 hr 10 min start to finish Serves 4 servings Easy
Jump to Recipe Method
Mango Sticky Rice

Photograph credit: Mango Sticky Rice Vendor (22525075347) by Mustang Joe · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mango Sticky Rice, in preparation
Mango Sticky Rice, in preparation

Photograph credit: Mango sticky rice · CC0 1.0 · Rawpixel

Making Mango Sticky Rice

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

  1. Rinse the glutinous rice several times until the water runs clear, then soak in plenty of cold water for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

  2. Drain and spread in a steamer lined with muslin or a clean cloth. Steam over boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes, until the grains are translucent, tender and chewy.

  3. Meanwhile warm the coconut milk with the sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil.

  4. Tip the hot cooked rice into a bowl and pour over three-quarters of the warm sweetened coconut milk.

  5. Fold gently, then cover and rest for 25 to 30 minutes. The rice will absorb almost all the liquid and turn glossy.

  6. For the sauce, warm the coconut cream with its sugar and salt, then whisk in the cornflour slurry and simmer 60 seconds until slightly thickened. It should taste distinctly salty against the sweet rice.

  7. Peel and slice the mangoes into thick cheeks.

  8. Mound the warm rice on plates, arrange the cold mango alongside, and spoon the salted coconut sauce over the rice.

  9. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and crispy mung beans.

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

Notes for Getting It Right

  • Only Thai glutinous rice will do — jasmine, sushi and arborio all behave completely differently.
  • The sauce should be noticeably salty. That contrast against the sweet rice and mango is the whole point.
  • Serve the rice warm and the mango cold. The temperature difference matters.

What Goes With Mango Sticky Rice

  • Jasmine tea or Thai iced tea
  • Serve after a spicy curry
  • Excellent on its own as an afternoon treat

Storing & Reheating Mango Sticky Rice

The rice keeps 2 days at room temperature covered — never refrigerate it, which turns it hard and chalky. Steam briefly to revive.

Questions About Mango Sticky Rice

How long does Mango Sticky Rice take to make?

15 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours 25 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes of soaking, so allow 5 hours 5 minutes to 5 hours 10 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

729Calories
11gProtein
115gCarbs
25gFat
5gFibre
47gSugar
750mgSodium

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.

Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .