Sticky Mango Rice – Khao Neow Mamuang Lat Kati

I have been meaning to make this for ever so long and I finally got around to whipping it up this mango season. This recipe is a combination of Kay Plunkett-Hogge and Marion Grasby’s recipe for Sticky Mango Rice. I used Jasmine Rice for this recipe but if you can lay your paws on Sticky (Glutinous) Rice go with that. I cannot help but emphasize, as have the authors of the recipe, please make it with ripe mangoes of very good quality or it isn’t worth the effort.

Ingredients:

125 grams raw Sticky rice (or Jasmine rice)

250 – 300 mils coconut milk (I use Kara or Dabur cartons)

60 grams (1/3^rd cup) palm sugar or castor sugar or regular sugar

A big pinch of salt

2 – 3 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into pieces or sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For Use:

A steamer or a steamer basket or a makeshift vessel colander steamer

A 15-inch by 15-inch muslin cloth (or cheesecloth)

Method:

1.    Soak the Jasmine rice in water for 3 hours.

2.    After 3 hours, drain and rinse the rice in fresh water.

3.    Bring water to boil in the base of a steamer/vessel. When the water gets to a roaring boil, lower heat, put the top colander-like section over it.

4.    Put the muslin cloth on the colander section and spread out the rice in an even layer. Fold the cloth over the rice, cover with a lid.

5.    Increase the flame to high and steam the rice for 20 minutes.

6.    Check the rice at the 20-minute mark and if it isn’t cooked to sticky texture, continue cooking (covered) for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until desired texture is achieved.

7.    While the rice is cooking, toast the sesame seeds on low flame. When the colour of the sesame seeds get to a light toasty colour and a nutty aroma reaches your olfactory senses, remove the sesame seeds into a plate. Keep aside and allow to cool.

8.    On very low heat, stirring all the time, heat coconut milk, sugar and salt in a stainless-steel vessel or a non-stick pan. When the sugar melts and the milk is heated through, remove from fire, and keep aside.

9.    Remove the warm cooked rice from the muslin cloth, retain approximately 50 mil of the coconut milk mixture and pour the rest into the rice.

10. Give it a stir to ensure the coconut milk is well incorporated into the rice. Cover and keep aside giving the rice time to absorb the coconut milk completely.  

To Serve:

Divide the rice into four or five equal portions, top (or serve alongside) with chopped/sliced mangoes. Drizzle the remaining coconut milk over each portion and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Serve!

Chef Notes:

1.    While I do have a steamer at home, it is a huge one hence did not bother with it. I chose to use a makeshift steamer with a vessel below with a colander above it. QED! 😉

2.    125 grams of raw rice will usually yield 250 grams of cooked rice which is an ideal quantity for dessert, for 4 (or max 5) people.

3.    The number of mangoes you choose to serve, with the rice, is entirely up to you. We used 3 Kesar mangoes because we were greedy, ideally 2 would have sufficed. *giggles*

4.    I did not have palm or castor sugar which is why I opted for regular sugar and it worked beautifully so don’t get too hassled if you don’t have palm or castor sugar in your pantry.

5.    I also know friends who cook this recipe with Maharashtrian Ambemohar Rice. The aroma of mango blossoms that emits from this rice and its flexibility to be cooked to sticky texture, make it a perfect substitute for Sticky Rice. If you choose to use Ambemohar, cook the rice as you would normally do but to a sticky texture. Follow the rest of recipe as written. Btw, I also have friends who swear Indrayani rice works as well. I haven’t tried it tough.

6.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs: