Sticky rice and mango is a dessert found throughout southeast Asia. It is one of those beautifully simple dishes the success of which depends entirely upon its few ingredients being of good quality, and proper preparation techniques. This version is from my husband who recreated the treat he enjoyed so often when he was in Thailand. This dessert is also gluten and dairy free so is a nice treat for people on restricted diets.

Equipment

A steamer (While bamboo is ideal any thing will work even a metal colander suspended in a pot will work as long as the steam is trapped in the pot somehow.)

A bowl

A spoon

Bamboo leaves, fresh or dried/or banana leaves which are usually fresh

Ingredients

2 cups Sticky rice (also known as Thai glutinous rice)

1 cup Coconut milk

1/2 cup Palm sugar

2 Yellow mangoes

Method

In a bowl put rice with 8 cups of water. The rice must soak for at least four hours in order to steam properly.

Four hours later prepare your steamer by lining the bottom with bamboo leaves. I like to place the second layer at right angles to the first in order to keep there from being any gaps. Use twp or three layers until the bottom is completely covered. (Be careful, dry bamboo leaves have sharp sides and can give your fingers little cuts that sting, something I found out the hard way.) If you can not find bamboo leaves cheesecloth will work as well but you will lose some flavor subtlety. To make up for that you could add some fresh ginger or galangal slices to the steam water if you like. You could do that anyway for a nice variation.

Drain the pre-soaked rice and carefully spoon it onto the bamboo leaves in the steamer. Cover it with a lid and bring the water in the pot beneath to a boil. (Or turn your steamer on if you have one.) If your steamer is improvised check to make sure too much steam isn’t escaping. You can use wet dish towels to seal up any cracks from which steam is escaping too rapidly.

Allow the rice to steam for half an hour to an hour. It is finished when all of the individual grains glisten and it is soft when you chew it. The texture is quite unique if you are used to boiled rice and is one of the great things about this dish. It will as the title suggests, stick together.

Once the rice is cooked put it back in the bowl and add palm sugar, (sugar made from palm trees, it usually comes in big lumps or loaves at the Asian supermarket) and coconut milk, either from a can or powder unless you live near a coconut tree. Then you can just make a hole in the shell and pour it into the measuring cup. But the odds are that if you live near a coconut tree the odds are that you already know this recipe.

Cut up the mango into cubes. Click on this link to learn How to cut a mango.

Scoop the sticky rice into bowls and garnish with the mango. Serve while still warm.