Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce and Mangos
Another day at Doughmesstic, another day where I rave about something delicious from the Culinary Institute of America. 
I can’t help it! I was exposed to so many new foods and so many new techniques – I feel like the whole world has opened up for me foodwise. I wish everyone could feel this way about what foods they choose to prepare…it really is a great feeling.
On the fourth day of my World Cuisine Bootcamp, one of my tasks was to make Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce and Mangos. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but, loving rice and loving coconut led me to believe I was going to enjoy this dish.
I was so right.
We treated it as a side dish in class, which I would here at home, too, but I understand that it is often used as a dessert, which makes sense. It’s so sweet and delicious, full of bright flavors and a taste of the exotic. It reminds me of the foods we ate while on holiday in Bali and Thailand a few years back. Jon and I spent about a month traveling around southeast Asia, shacking up in 5 star resorts (I am a whiz at finding deals, trust me, I do NOT have a 5 star budget!) – and the foods were plentiful, fresh, and cheap. We ate very well!
I do recall eating a sticky rice much like this recipe one night on the island of Koh Phi Phi, off the coast of Phuket, Thailand. It was paired with prawns that weighed a half pound each, pina coladas, and a sweltering hot equatorial moonlit night.
But it was fabulous. Everything about that place…perfection.
Heck, maybe I am just recreating it all in my mind. Maybe it wasn’t Utopia, but it sure does seem like it. And you can bet your butt I’d head back there in a heartbeat, paradise or no.
Until that day, I can prepare this sticky rice and be transported back to five star days and pristine beaches. At least until someone screams at me to turn on Bubble Guppies.
Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce and Mangos
For the Rice
- 1 1/2 cups Sticky Rice, soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Wrap the drained sticky rice in cheesecloth and place in a steamer for 30 minutes or more, until the grains a re soft. While rice is steaming, bring the coconut milk, sugar, salt and vanilla in a sauce pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Strain and set aside.
When the rice is steamed, place in a mixing bowl with the coconut mixture and stir gently until well combined. Cover and allow to rest 15-20 minutes.
Coconut Topping
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon rice flour
- 1 mango, chopped
Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Meanwhile, combine the rice flour with a teaspoon of water and stir to dissolve the flour. Slowly add the slurry to the simmering coconut milk mixture, making sure to continue stirring. Return to a boil, and immediately remove from heat and set aside.
When ready to serve, place rice on a plate and arrange pieces of mango around, and pour coconut topping over. Enjoy!
