Mango Sticky Rice | Khao Niao Mamuang | ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

Mango sticky rice (Khao Niao Mamuang) is Thailand's most popular dessert for good reason - the coconut flavored sticky rice pairs ever so well with fresh, ripe mango. Fortunately mango sticky rice is quite easy to make, given the right equipment. I'll walk you through everything you need to know to make this delicious Thai dessert at home.

Before I tell you the right way to make mango sticky rice, let me share with you my disastrous first attempt at making this dessert:

I started by dumping an entire can of coconut milk into my rice cooker with some jasmine rice and pressing "cook".  I figured, "Thai cooking is easy, so coconut sticky rice should be as easy as that, right?"  "Umm, not quite", I realized, as I dumped the gloppy mess of uncooked rice into the trash... After that disheartening experience, I decided to learn how to make mango sticky rice the right way.  And it turns out that it is quite easy, just not in the way that I had thought!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Coconut-Flavored Sticky Rice
• Fresh, Ripe Mango
• Thickened Coconut Sauce
• Crispy Mung Beans
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Storing and Reheating
• Recipe

Ingredients

You'll need these six basic ingredients to make Mango Sticky Rice / Khao Niao Mamuang:

• Thai Sticky Rice: Sticky rice is known as Khao Niao in Thai. It can also be labelled "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice". Thai sticky rice is a type of long-grain rice that contains more amylopectin than amylose starch.
• Coconut Milk: Regular, full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk should be used in this recipe. Canned or boxed works great.
• White Sugar: Granulated white sugar is preferred over palm sugar as the latter would turn the dessert a darker color.
• Salt: Plain table salt works best.
• Mung Beans: Also known as moong dal or golden lentils, split yellow mung beans are fried until crispy and used to top the mango sticky rice.
• Mango: A fresh ripe mango is the centerpiece of this dessert. See below for more details.

Although the ingredients themselves are simple, the proper preparation of these ingredients is key! We'll run through each component of Mango Sticky Rice below.

Coconut-Flavored Sticky Rice

The foundation of mango sticky rice is a sweet and salty coconut-flavored sticky rice. To make this coconut-flavored sticky rice, you first have to start with.... sticky rice. Although this may seem painfully obvious to you, it wasn't to me initially.  

Thai sticky rice is a type of long-grain rice that is high in amylopectin starch and low in amylose starch. Because amylopectin breaks down when it cooks, it makes the rice become sticky. Known as "khao niao" or "khao neow" in Thai, it can also be found labelled as "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice". It is important to note that Thai sticky rice is not the same as the short grain sticky rice that's used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooking. You can usually find Thai sticky rice at Asian grocery stores. If it's not local to you, it can be purchased online.

Because of its high levels of amylopectin, if sticky rice were cooked in water like jasmine rice, it would become a gloopy mess. Instead, sticky rice is soaked in water for several hours and then the water is steamed out of it. See this HOW TO: Make Thai Sticky Rice guide for more detailed instructions.

Only after the sticky rice is cooked do you add the sweet and salty coconut milk sauce. As the sticky rice sits in this mixture, each grain soaks up all of these delicious flavors. This is the base upon which a fresh, ripe mango shines.

Fresh, Ripe Mango

A perfectly ripe, sweet mango is as integral to the success of this dessert as the coconut-flavored sticky rice. In Thailand, two distinct varieties of mango are preferred for this dish: mamuang ok rong (มะม่วงอกร่อง) and mamuang nam dok mai (มะม่วงน้ำดอกไม้). These Thai mango varieties are sweet and smooth, without stringy fibers.

The mangoes that resemble these Thai mango varieties most closely in North America are the Manila or Ataulfo (champagne) mangoes. If you're not able to find these, any variety that is ripe and sweet will work in a pinch. For the traditional presentation, the mango is peeled and the two sides are cut from the seed. Each side is then sliced into diagonal segments and placed next to the coconut sticky rice. For other presentation options, see my TOP 10: Presentations of Mango Sticky Rice.

Thickened Coconut Sauce

Mango sticky rice (Khao Niao Mamuang) is usually served with additional coconut sauce that can be poured on top of the rice, or served on the side. It is usually slightly thick, either from cooking down coconut cream or using a little cornstarch or rice flour as a thickening agent. Some recipes call for this sauce to be one-dimensionally salty. However, I prefer using the same sweet and salty sauce that the sticky rice is soaked in for a more round, balanced flavor. Simply combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt with a small amount of cornstarch over medium heat. Allow to cook until it's just slightly thickened, but still pourable.

Crispy Mung Beans

Crispy mung beans are the traditional topping for mango sticky rice. They add a nice crunchy texture to the otherwise soft dessert. The mung beans can be fried either with or without oil. If you don't have access to, or don't prefer to use mung beans, toasted sesame seeds are another option for topping this dessert. You can also forgo any crunchy topping if you prefer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

As detailed above, there are four different components to mango sticky rice that need to be prepared separately. Aside from making the sticky rice, the other components can be made in a matter of minutes. And, if you're in a hurry, the sticky rice can be made ahead of time and reheated prior to assembling this dessert (see HOW TO: Reheat Sticky Rice).

Storing and Reheating

Mango sticky rice is best eaten shortly after it's made. The rice is still slightly warm, and the grains haven't had a chance to cool or harden.

If you have leftovers, they can be saved in the refrigerator. Save the sticky rice separately from the mango in a covered air-tight container. When you're ready to serve it again, the rice can be reheated in the microwave. It's best to cover the dish with a damp paper towel so that the rice doesn't dry out.

So there you have it - how to make mango sticky rice AKA Khao Niao Mamuang. I love that once you know how to make sticky rice properly, this Thai dessert is quite easy to make.  And I'm hoping that by sharing this recipe here, I can save you from rice cooker disasters like mine!

Recipe