Thai Mango Sticky Rice 🇹🇭 (Gluten Free)

The famed Thai mango sticky rice is not difficult to make at home.  You need glutinous rice (which is gluten free in spite of its name) soaked overnight and then steamed to make them 'sticky'.  Added to your shopping list is a tin of good quality coconut cream and some lovely mangoes that are ripe but firm to the touch.  Traditionally, sticky rice is steamed inside a conical bamboo basket over a metal pot filled with water.  For a small quantity of rice, as in this recipe, an ordinary steamer basket lined with a wet cotton cloth over a saucepan works well.  Mango sticky rice makes a scrumptious dessert.  The dense, slightly chewy texture of the rice creates a delightful mouthfeel against the natural sweetness and juiciness of the mango.  In Thailand, it is a street food eaten for breakfast as well as a snack throughout the day.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 250g / 9oz glutinous rice
• 300ml / 10½oz coconut cream
• 40g / 1½oz caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 large mangoes
• 2 teaspoons toasted black sesame seeds

METHOD

1.  Place glutinous rice in a large bowl with enough cold water to submerge.  Use your hand to gently swirl the rice around to rinse.  Pour off the starchy water.  Repeat two or three times until the water runs clear.
2. Add clean water to cover the surface of the rice in the bowl by about 2.5cm/ 1".  Allow to soak overnight.
3. When ready to cook, line a steamer basket with a clean, wet cotton cloth.  Drain the rice with a sieve and spread it out in the basket.  Fold over the edges of the wet cloth to cover the top, then cover the basket with lid. 
4. Fill a large saucepan matching the size of the bamboo steamer with 5cm /2" of water.  Bring it to the boil.  Place the steamer basket on top and steam over medium high heat for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and clump together a little.  Check the water level in the saucepan during the steaming process midway through and add more hot water if required so it doesn't boil dry.  
5. While the rice is steaming, place 250ml / 9oz of the coconut cream, sugar and salt in a small saucepan.  Stir for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar over low heat.
6. Tip the cooked rice to a large bowl and stir in the warm coconut cream, a little at a time, until well combined and glossy.
7. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 50ml / 1¾oz of coconut cream with a pinch of salt.
8. Prepare the mangoes.  For best presentation, use their 'cheeks' only by slicing them off either side of the mango and then cutting each cheek into thick slices with a sharp knife.  Carefully slice off skin.
9. Divide the sticky rice between plates.  Arrange mango slices on top of the rice.  Spoon over the salted coconut cream and garnish with sesame seeds.  Serve at room temperature.

*Any leftover sticky rice can be wrapped up with plastic into packages and refrigerated up to a day or two.  To reheat, unwrap and place rice in a microwave safe dish, sprinkle with a little water, cover and warm up on medium power for about 1 minute (depending on the amount of rice.)  Fluff rice up with a fork before serving.