Disclosure: This recipe is proudly sponsored by Panasonic Singapore.
STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE
Mango sticky rice is a famous Thai dessert that me and my husband love. My husband was posted to Thailand for 8 years. I spent those years shuttling between Singapore and Thailand, spending up to 6 months a year in Thailand. It is very easy to fall in love with Thai people, Thai culture, the Thai language and of course the ‘aroy mak mak’ Thai food, and I have so many fond memories and treasured friendships from our time there.
That’s why apart from local and Chinese food, I have also shared many authentic Thai recipes for dishes which I love, including pineapple rice, black olive rice, red ruby, tom yum soup and lemongrass smoked fish! Of course Thai Mango Sticky Rice is one of my favourites ways to round off a delicious meal!
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
- It is best to use Thai honey mangoes to make this dessert as they are very sweet and fragrant. However Thai honey mangoes are seasonal, so make sure you only make this dessert during the right season when the mangoes are ripe and sweet, otherwise, it will ruin the whole dessert.
- As a variation, try serving this dessert in the form of ‘sushi’ to surprise your guests! These bite-sized delights will make petite canapes portions which are perfect for parties and gatherings!
- If you can get your hands on good durians, Durian Sticky rice is another idea that you can try out! In Thai, this is called Khao Neow Tuk Rian ( Khao= Rice, Neow= Sticky, Tuk Rian=Durian).
PRODUCT REVIEW UPDATE: PANASONIC CUBIE OVEN
Last year, we wrote a review of the Panasonic Cubie Oven after using it to make our favourite Steamed Kueh Lapis (Jiu Ceng Gao). Do hop over later check out the recipe and read the full review here!
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After having owned the Panasonic Cubie Oven for a year now, we just have to add that we LOVE how compact yet roomy the oven is. It is similar in dimension to a small microwave (so it won’t take up too much counter-top space), but has two trays so you can steam two dishes at a go to save time!
And we are still loving the steam function for everyday healthy cooking! Not only can it steam food up to 25% faster (based on our own experience), somehow, the concentrated steam in the enclosed oven seems to be able to magically infuse and lock in moisture into the food. We have tried steaming leaf buns in the oven to go with our Kung Bak Bao. As you know, leaf buns steamed in a wok tend to become dry when left on the table to cool. However, the leaf buns steamed in the Cubie oven tended to remain moist for a much longer time even after they had cooled.
The Cubie Oven retails for $399 and is available at all major departmental stores. You can check out the full product specs here.
HOW TO MAKE MANGO STICKY RICE
Wash the mung beans thoroughly and soak overnight (or at least 2 hours). Drain and pat dry with kitchen towel.
Wash the glutinous rice a few times until the water runs clear to get rid of the starch, then soak for 30-45 minutes.
Wash the 6 pandan leaves. Cut 3 of the pandan leaves into 10 cm in length. Bundle the other 3 and tie into a knot. Use baking paper / greaseproof paper to make 3 small rectangular boxes for steaming the three coloured rice.
Fill the water tank of the Cubie Oven, then set to ‘Steam-High’ for 3 minutes to heat up the oven. Drain off the water from the soaked rice and scoop out three equal portions into three bowls. Add 1-2 drops of red food colouring to the first bowl and mix until the rice grains are evenly coated. Then add 1-2 drops of green colouring to the second bowl and mix well.
MARKETING TIPS
- You must use glutinous rice, not normal white rice. You can also use black glutinous rice but you need to soak it for a longer time (overnight would be preferred), and increase the cooking time as black glutinous rice is harder to cook.
- Thai honey mangoes are the best type of mangos to go with Thai sticky rice. If the mango is unripe and sour, it will ruin the dish completely, so it is better to check if the mangoes are available before making this dessert.
COOKING TIPS
- Nowadays there is no need to soak the glutinous rice overnight, as was the case in the past. Just soaking it for 30-40 mins is sufficient.
- Do not over-steam the rice otherwise it will become soggy. It should be grainy and shiny after it is cooked.
- Do not worry when the rice seems inundated with the coconut mixture after it is poured over the rice when cooked. The rice should be able to absorb all the coconut mixture after 30 minutes.
- You can use ready-made coconut cream (santan), which is the top layer of very concentrated coconut cream. This is the reason for adding in the water. If you are using freshly squeezed coconut milk for the coconut mixture, there is no need to add water. Simply use 240ml coconut milk.
- Do not boil the coconut milk vigorously otherwise it will curdle and you will have to do it all over again.
VARIATIONS / ALTERNATIVE METHODS
- Traditionally, the glutinous rice is steamed using a steaming basket over a tall pot with a narrow opening. To use this method, add water into the tall pot with a narrow opening and bring it to a boil. Wet the steaming basket to prevent the rice from sticking to it, then add in the drained dry glutinous rice. Place the pandan leaves on top of the rice. Place the steaming basket on the tall pot and cover the rice with a cover. Steam the rice over high heat for about 30 mins. Make sure there is sufficient water in the pot to produce enough steam to cook the rice. Alternatively, place the rice and pandan leaves on a baking tin lined with cheesecloth and steam over a wok filled with water over high heat for 30 mins.
- Instead of using the Cubie Oven to prepare the crispy mung beans, you can either pan fry them without oil until golden and crispy, or bake them at 200°C for about 20 minutes until crispy.
- If you want the sticky rice to have a softer or harder texture, you can adjust the amount of coconut mixture added to it accordingly.
- Please adjust the sweetness of the sticky rice according to your preference.
- You can also use durian instead of mango. This is called Khao Neow Tuk Rian ( Khao= Rice, Neow= Sticky, Tuk Rian=Durian).
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Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Neow Ma Muang)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Glutinous Rice
- 3 Pandan Leaves
- 60 ml Water
- 1 big Honey Mango Chilled
- Banana Leaf
COCONUT MIXTURE (TO SOAK THE RICE)
- 180 ml Coconut Cream (Santan) Kara Brand preferred
- 70-75 gm Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Pandan Leaves
COCONUT DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 tsp Corn Flour Alternatively you can use Tapioca Flour
- 3 tbsp Water
- 70 ml Coconut Cream (Santan)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
MUNG BEAN TOPPING
- 20-25 gm Yellow Mung Beans Preferably soaked overnight (or at the very least 2 hours)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT (See tips for alternative method if you don't have this equipment)
- Panasonic Cubie Steam Oven
- Baking Paper / Greaseproof Paper
- Baking Tray
Instructions
PREPARATION METHOD (Start the night before, 15 min active time)
- Wash the mung beans thoroughly and soak overnight (or at least 2 hours). Drain and pat dry with kitchen towel.
- Wash the glutinous rice a few times until the water runs clear to get rid of the starch, then soak for 30-45 minutes.
- Wash the 6 pandan leaves. Cut 3 of the pandan leaves into 10 cm in length. Bundle the other 3 and tie into a knot.
- Use baking paper / greaseproof paper to make 3 small rectangular boxes for steaming the three coloured rice.
COOKING METHOD (1 hour 5 min)
- Fill the water tank of the Cubie Oven, then set to 'Steam-High' for 3 minutes to heat up the oven.
- Drain off the water from the soaked rice and scoop out three equal portions into three bowls.
- Add 1-2 drops of red food colouring to the first bowl and mix until the rice grains are evenly coated. Then add 1-2 drops of green colouring to the second bowl and mix well.
- Place the paper boxes into the baking tray and line the boxes with the cut pandan leaves. Then add the three bowls of glutinous rice into the three boxes.
- Place the baking tray into the Cubie Oven and set to 'Steam-High' for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut mixture for soaking the rice.
- Coconut Mixture for Soaking Rice: Add 180ml coconut cream, 60ml water, 70-75 gm of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and the bundle of pandan leaves into a small saucepan. Stir and mix well. Heat the coconut mixture over medium-low heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Be careful not boil the coconut mixture vigorously otherwise it will curdle.
- When the rice is cooked, remove the pandan leaves and sieve the coconut mixture into a heatproof measuring cup.
- Loosen the rice gently with a fork or chopsticks. Then pour the coconut mixture equally over the three portions of rice and mix well.
- Cover the tray with an aluminium foil and leave aside and let it stand for 30 mins, giving the rice a good stir midway through the process. Meanwhile, prepare the crispy mung beans and coconut dipping sauce.
- Crispy Mung Beans: Drain dry the mung beans, then place in a baking tin, spreading them out in one layer. Preheat the Cubie Oven using the 'Healthy Fry' function. Then place the mung beans on the bottom rack and cooking using 'Healthy Fry' for 15 minutes. After 10 minutes, give the mung beans a stir, then continue cooking. After 15 minutes, the mung beans should be golden and crispy. If need be, a little salt can be added to it.
- Coconut Dipping Sauce: Dissolve the cornflour in the water. Add 70ml of coconut cream, the cornflour solution and 1/4 tsp salt into a small saucepan. Mix until well incorporated then cook over low heat stirring constantly until it thickens. Turn off the heat and transfer the sauce into a serving jug.
- After 30 mins, remove the aluminium foil from the rice and fluff it with chopsticks
- Peel and slice the mango, and serve it with the glutinous rice on a banana leaf. Pour the coconut sauce over the sticky rice. Sprinkle the mung beans on top of the sauce and serve.
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
- You must use glutinous rice, not normal white rice. You can also use black glutinous rice but you need to soak it for a longer time (overnight would be preferred) and increase the cooking time as black glutinous rice is harder to cook.
- Thai honey mangoes are the best type of mangos to go with Thai sticky rice. If the mango is unripe and sour, it will ruin the dish completely, so it is better to check if the mangoes are available before making this dessert.
COOKING TIPS
- Nowadays there is no need to soak the glutinous rice overnight, as was the case in the past. Just soaking it for 30-40 mins is sufficient.
- Do not over-steam the rice, otherwise, it will become soggy. It should be grainy and shiny after it is cooked.
- Do not worry when the rice seems inundated with the coconut mixture after it is poured over the rice when cooked. The rice should be able to absorb all the coconut mixture after 30 minutes.
- You can use ready-made coconut cream (santan), which is the top layer of very concentrated coconut cream. This is the reason for adding in the water. If you are using freshly squeezed coconut milk for the coconut mixture, there is no need to add water. Simply use 240ml coconut milk.
- Do not boil the coconut milk vigorously otherwise it will curdle and you will have to do it all over again.
VARIATIONS / ALTERNATIVE METHODS
- Traditionally, the glutinous rice is steamed using a steaming basket over a tall pot with a narrow opening. To use this method, add water into the tall pot with a narrow opening and bring it to a boil. Wet the steaming basket to prevent the rice from sticking to it, then add in the drained dry glutinous rice. Place the pandan leaves on top of the rice. Place the steaming basket on the tall pot and cover the rice with a cover. Steam the rice over high heat for about 30 mins. Make sure there is sufficient water in the pot to produce enough steam to cook the rice. Alternatively, place the rice and pandan leaves on a baking tin lined with cheesecloth and steam over a wok filled with water over high heat for 30 mins.
- Instead of using the Cubie Oven to prepare the crispy mung beans, you can pan fry them without oil until golden and crispy, or bake them at 200°C for about 20 minutes until crispy.
- If you want the sticky rice to have a softer or harder texture, you can adjust the amount of coconut mixture added to it accordingly.
- Please adjust the sweetness of the sticky rice according to your preference.
- You can also use durian instead of mango. This is called Khao Neow Tuk Rian ( Khao= Rice, Neow= Sticky, Tuk Rian=Durian).
