The classic combination of coconut milk, sticky rice, and sweet ripe mango has been a popular Thai dessert for centuries. In the U.S. most people know of mango sticky rice (or khao niaow ma muang) from going to Thai restaurants, but this gluten-free treat is actually incredibly easy to make at home. The base ingredient is glutinous rice (often labeled “sweet rice” on the package), a short-grain variety grown all over Asia that develops a chewy texture when cooked. (It’s also ground into flour to make other East and Southeast Asian dishes, like mochi.) While you can’t make sticky rice by just throwing it in the rice cooker, like jasmine rice, it’s not hard to prepare: After you rinse the grains, you soak them overnight, then cook them in a steamer lined with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel. (Here we use a makeshift steamer by setting a sieve over a pot of water.) Then all you have to do is mix the cooked rice with some coconut milk and sugar, pair it with fresh mango, and scatter on some toasted sesame seeds.

　　In Thailand this dish is most popular in the spring, which is peak mango season. But these days good mangoes can be found in the markets (or ordered online) pretty much any time of year. The best kinds of mangoes for this dish are the sweet, creamy varieties with golden skins rather than the larger, rounder kinds that get a reddish hue on the skin.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Glutinous Rice

　　$14 At Amazon

　　Coconut Milk

　　$2 At Walmart

　　Small Saucepan

　　$235 $120 At Amazon

　　Fine Mesh Strainer

　　$16 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　1½ cups glutinous (sweet) rice

　　1⅓ cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk

　　⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

　　¼ teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly

　　1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin slices (at least 24)

　　

Step 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.

　　

Step 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 to 40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).

　　

Step 3

While rice is cooking, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup coconut milk to a boil with ⅓ cup sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. Keep mixture warm.

　　

Step 4

Transfer cooked rice to a bowl and stir in coconut-milk mixture. Let rice stand, covered, 30 minutes, or until coconut-milk mixture is absorbed. Rice may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature.

　　

Step 5

While rice is standing, in cleaned small pan slowly boil remaining ⅓ cup coconut milk with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Transfer sauce to a small bowl and chill until cool and thickened slightly.

　　

Step 6

To serve, mold ¼ cup servings of sticky rice on dessert plates. Drizzle desserts with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Divide mango slices among plates. 

　　Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in the June 1994 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004. Head this way for more of our favorite mango recipes →