Mango sticky rice is a traditional Southeast Asian and South Asian dessert made with glutinous rice, fresh mango and coconut milk, and eaten with a spoon or the hands.

Preparation

Usually desserts involving sticky rice are sweetened with palm sugar or jaggery combined with coconut milk and coconut flakes, wrapped in

banana leaf The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...

, then steamed or stuffed in bamboo and roasted on an open fire such as

sticky rice in bamboo Sticky rice in bamboo is a common Southeast Asian dish consisting of sticky rice roasted inside specially prepared bamboo sections of different diameters and lengths. It is consumed both as a savory food and as a sweet dessert. Names The dish ...

. The main ingredients needed are sticky rice (glutinous rice), canned or fresh coconut milk, salt, palm sugar and mangoes. To prepare the dish, the rice is soaked in water and then cooked by steaming or the use of a rice cooker. Meanwhile, the coconut milk is mixed with salt and sugar then heated without boiling. After the rice is finished cooking, the coconut milk mixture and the rice are mixed together evenly and allowed to sit to allow the milk to absorb into the rice. The mangoes are peeled and sliced. To serve the dish, the rice is scooped onto a plate, a few mango slices are placed on top or to the side, and the remaining coconut milk is drizzled on top. Sometimes, the sticky rice is topped with crispy yellow mung beans. Mostly, yellow mango is used which has a sweeter taste than green mango. Traditionally, the Nam Dok Mai (flower nectar mango) and ok-rong varieties of mango are used. Glutinous sticky rice, which is sweeter than the normal sticky rice, is used for the best texture.

Variations

These are variations to the classic mango sticky rice, such as substituting white sticky rice with black sticky rice, imparting a purple color.

In Thailand

Mango sticky rice is a common street food in Thailand and is considered an attractive factor by foreigner tourists for travelling in Thailand. It is usually eaten during the peak mango season of April and May. Common sweet mango cultivars, such as ''nam dawk mai'' or ''ok long'', are combined with glutinous rice sweetened with coconut milk, and served warm.

In Laos

Mango sticky rice is a common dessert of the

Lao people The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere ...

of the Greater Mekong Sub-region where glutinous rice has been cultivated over the history of food and myths. Sticky or glutinous rice is a Laos national dish connected to the culture and religious traditions. In mango-ripening season, sticky rice garnished with sweetened coconut milk and dry roasted sesame seeds is served with ripe mango pieces. Sticky rice may be served plain with only mango and no trimmings.

In the Philippines

A sticky rice snack cooked in coconut milk, and sometimes, ginger called ''puto maya'' is a favorite among the Visayan people. It is served with sweet ripe mangoes (if in season) and a hot chocolate. In Cagayan de Oro, a violet variety of sticky rice is used.

References

{{mangoes Mangoes Thai desserts and snacks Cambodian desserts Vietnamese desserts Laotian desserts Glutinous rice dishes