It’s Ataúlfo mango season, and they are one of my very favorite fruit varieties. Mexican-grown, they are smaller, sweeter, and far less fibrous that the Tommy Atkins mangoes available nearly year-round at our local markets. I rarely purchase those bigger ones, but when Ataúlfos come in, I scoop them up by the caseful… it’s mango mania over here! I make big batches of mango chow (a Trinidadian sweet and spicy preparation) when food prepping, but most of the mangoes are devoured for dessert Thai-style- served on sticky rice, drizzled with homemade coconut cream.
Though Thai sweet glutinous rice is traditionally used in khao niao mamung (I stock up at Ranch 99), most any glutinous short grain rice will work. I have a bit of an obsession with forbidden rice, so I use that often- I love a blend of the two in this dish. If I can spare the time and effort, I steam the rices separately and then combine, as I did here. Cooking them in the same pot totally works, the forbidden rice just dyes the white rice during the process.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) sticky rice
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, well-shaken, divided
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons (6g) cornstarch
- kosher salt
- two ripe mangoes (preferably Ataúlfo), peeled and chopped
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Preparation (adapted from Serious Eats)
- In a medium bowl, cover rice with water by several inches and let soak at room temperature for at least one hour, up to overnight.
- Drain rice, and place in steamer lined with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel, making sure to level the surface to form an even layer. Bring water in steamer to a boil over high heat, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a small saucepan over medium heat and add half the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Whisk in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and a large pinch of salt. The coconut milk should balance between salty and sweet.
- Move the steamed rice to a large heatproof bowl and pour coconut milk mixture on top. Stir well to combine, cover with plastic, and let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add remaining coconut milk to saucepan. Return to simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a couple of teaspoons of the hot coconut milk to form a slurry. Whisk cornstarch slurry into coconut milk and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt. Keep coconut cream warm.
- For serving, plate coconut rice and arrange sliced mango alongside. Drizzle with coconut cream, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve right away.
loveRavayna