Khao Niaow Ma Muang - Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Before visiting Phuket, Thailand last September 2011, I was able to make Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert.  I remember seeing this after browsing the net for any Thai food we want to try while touring. Although we have a similar kakanin like this which is called biko, this is different because it is paired with sweet ripe mangoes and has sweetened coconut sauce. I can also remember there's budbod or suman in Tanjay (a quaint little city north of Dumaguete, Philippines) which they pair with tsokolate and ripe mango. But these kakanins deserve to have a separate entry in my blog :)

Back to the Thai dessert, I liked the recipe I found in About.com. Not only it's easy to follow but it also has the most minimal ingredients that I was able to see online. So off I went to get glutinous rice from a nearby Indian store which sells it cheaper than the grocery store.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup glutinous rice (available at Asian stores), soaked in water overnight
• 1 ripe mango, cut into fan-like manner
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water

For the sauce:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 5 tbsp brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Soak the rice overnight. This will help you cook the rice faster.
2. Do not drain the rice. Add the water, plus 1/4 can coconut milk, salt, and brown sugar.
3. Bring to a slow boil. Don't fully cover the pan to let steam out. Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes. 
4. Once the liquid has been fully absorbed by the rice, turn off the heat. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
5. For the sauce, pour the coconut milk into a pan. Slowly add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Check the sweetness and adjust according to how you like it.  Take note, the sweetness will lessen once it will be added to the rice.
6. Assemble the rice by using a mold (square or round shaped) and arrange in on a plate. Pour the sauce and top with mango slices. Put extra sauce in a bowl in case anybody wants more of it. 
7. Serve and enjoy.

Instead of cubing the mangoes, I sliced them like a fan.

- When I assembled the sticky rice, I placed the sticky rice first then poured sauce and arranged the mango slices in a pretty manner like this:

Ready to be served

I also did another plating, I used a small square container to shape the sticky rice. I was hoping to get the more "snobbish, restaurant look" but I guess my attempt failed. :(

Square version