Sweet rice with coconut milk and mango is a beloved dish in Thailand, enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner by both adults and children. It’s incredibly easy to prepare — steamed rice, a staple in Thai cuisine, is readily available and can be seasoned with coconut milk and fresh fruit in just 10 minutes. In restaurants, fresh coconut milk is sometimes used (made by blending coconut water and pulp), but more often, canned coconut milk is preferred due to its convenience and longer shelf life. Mangoes for this dish are typically the sweetest and juiciest available, though some variations use mangoes with a hint of tartness. There’s no need to overly adapt the recipe: rice and coconut milk are widely available, and the tropical fruits we can find locally, often just on the verge of perfect ripeness or with a slight sourness, work wonderfully for this dish.
- 400 g cooked jasmine rice
- 400 ml of coconut milk
- 125 g of sugar
- 0.3 tsp salt
- 1-2 mangoes
Jasmine rice (you can use another long-grain variety or even round rice, but it’s important that it’s not too starchy) should be soaked overnight in cold water or for 3 hours in hot water. Rinse thoroughly and cook in water until tender, or prepare in a steamer. If necessary, drain the water again and mix the rice well without adding any additional ingredients.
In a small saucepan, pour in the coconut milk. Add the sugar and salt, stirring to combine.
- Sometimes pandan leaves are added to the coconut milk. These thin leaves impart a distinct, recognizable aroma and, when ground, a vibrant green color to many Thai desserts. Pandan leaves are also used as wrappers for baking, much like bamboo leaves. They have a slightly sweet and mildly spicy taste. It’s almost impossible to substitute pandan leaves, so I’ve excluded them from this recipe. However, if you want to mimic the flavor, you can add one bay leaf to the coconut milk while heating it.
Without bringing it to a boil, simmer the hot coconut milk for about 10 minutes, stirring in the sugar and salt until dissolved. If you decide to use a bay leaf, remove it at this stage. Pour half of the hot milk over 400 g of cooked rice, cover with a clean towel, and let it sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the mango and cut the flesh into cubes. To serve, place the sticky rice on a plate, drizzle with a few more spoonfuls of warm coconut milk, and top with the mango. For added texture and flavor, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or peanuts.
An excellent, quick autumn breakfast—warming and highly nutritious. Incidentally, it’s the rainy season in Thailand now, with rains that truly define the meaning of rain.
Jasmine rice (you can use another long-grain variety or even round rice, but it’s important that it’s not too starchy) should be soaked overnight in cold water or for 3 hours in hot water. Rinse thoroughly and cook in water until tender, or prepare in a steamer. If necessary, drain the water again and mix the rice well without adding any additional ingredients.
In a small saucepan, pour in the coconut milk. Add the sugar and salt, stirring to combine.
- Sometimes pandan leaves are added to the coconut milk. These thin leaves impart a distinct, recognizable aroma and, when ground, a vibrant green color to many Thai desserts. Pandan leaves are also used as wrappers for baking, much like bamboo leaves. They have a slightly sweet and mildly spicy taste. It’s almost impossible to substitute pandan leaves, so I’ve excluded them from this recipe. However, if you want to mimic the flavor, you can add one bay leaf to the coconut milk while heating it.
Without bringing it to a boil, simmer the hot coconut milk for about 10 minutes, stirring in the sugar and salt until dissolved. If you decide to use a bay leaf, remove it at this stage. Pour half of the hot milk over 400 g of cooked rice, cover with a clean towel, and let it sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the mango and cut the flesh into cubes. To serve, place the sticky rice on a plate, drizzle with a few more spoonfuls of warm coconut milk, and top with the mango. For added texture and flavor, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or peanuts.
An excellent, quick autumn breakfast—warming and highly nutritious. Incidentally, it’s the rainy season in Thailand now, with rains that truly define the meaning of rain.
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