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Microwave Coconut Sticky Rice With Mango

Photo of Coconut Sticky Rice With Mango.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

Mango sticky rice was always a special treat for me and my siblings when we were growing up. After dinner, my mom would buy it from the street vendors who rode around on bicycles selling it in little banana leaf packages. It was an expensive dessert, so we always shared one among all five of us. Two bites each!

Chrissy and Luna love when I make mango sticky rice, but I always tell them I have to find a really good mango first. That’s essential. The little yellow ones are my favorite, but any type of mango will work. What’s important is that the mango be very ripe but not mushy.

The coconut sticky rice? That’s the easy part. Cook the sticky rice in the microwave and then mix it with the hot, salty-sweet coconut milk. The heat from the coconut milk will help it soak into the rice and make it so creamy and tender. All done. Fresh mangoes are great, but if you don’t have any, coconut sticky rice is so good with everything—spicy curries, grilled meat, even fried chicken. There’s no such thing as making too much.

Ingredients

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1½ cups Thai sticky rice
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Mint leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a dry skillet, toast the coconut over medium-low heat, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool (don’t leave it in the skillet or it might burn).

    Step 2

    Place the sticky rice in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with 1¾ cups warm water. Let soak for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Cover the bowl with an upside-down plate or plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Carefully stir the rice from top to bottom, then cover and cook the rice for another 3 minutes. Repeat the process, stirring and microwaving 3 minutes at a time, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice has turned translucent (this means it’s cooked). Set aside to cool slightly.

    Step 3

    In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the sugar and salt, and stir until they dissolve. Remove from the heat, pour the hot coconut milk over the warm sticky rice, and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes so the rice can absorb the coconut milk.

    Step 4

    Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the toasted coconut. Serve with sliced mango. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds and fresh mint.

The Pepper Thai cookbook cover with photo of Pepper Teigen sitting at a table with a bowl of food.
From The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone's Favorite Thai Mom by Pepper Teigen and Garrett Snyder © 2021. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Buy the full book from Amazon, or Bookshop.
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  • This was easy and pretty good. It could have used maybe a coconut sauce? it was a little dry. We poured a bit of whipping cream over it with the mangoes.

    • linda 0

    • Chicago

    • 6/15/2023

  • Mine was much too liquid-y, more like a rice pudding. I watched a couple of videos after I made this, and I think most of the videos I saw cooked down the coconut milk so it thickened, and I wish I had done that. Also - on the first try the rice boiled over. Use a massive bowl :)

    • Anonymous

    • Nashville, TN

    • 2/25/2023

  • Think since peaches are in season they would be a good substitute?

    • Tammy

    • Charleston,WV

    • 7/28/2022

  • So easy and delicious!

    • Kmgolfer

    • Alexandria VA

    • 5/11/2022

  • So good and so easy! It's amazing how quickly this comes together. I'm a fan of salty-sweet, so I didn't think it was too salty. It's one of my favorite desserts but also makes a great breakfast!

    • Anonymous

    • New York, NY

    • 3/20/2022

  • Too much salt! I can’t imagine needing more than 1/4 tsp next time. This was salty and didn’t taste like dessert at all!

    • PaisleyT

    • Québec, QC

    • 6/28/2021

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