Trying New Things and Mango Sticky Rice

I was walking down a Bangkok street one night several years ago when a woman handed me a little green package. I was in try-anything mode, and C encouraged me to try it. He had also had one, along with a little cup of green goo. I’m sure it wasn’t actually green goo, but that’s what it looked like. I still don’t know what it was.

I accepted the package, paid my five baht, and opened it up. It was a little heap of sticky rice perfectly wrapped in a banana leaf. I gathered some of it up with my fingers and put it in my mouth, not sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. It was sweet and delicate tasting; the smooth flavour of coconut was infused in every grain of rice.

For the next few months, I sought out the dessert wherever we went. Toward the end of our trip, when we were back at a guesthouse we frequented in the past, the cooks invited us into the kitchen to show us how to cook some Thai dishes. Lucky for me (and my tastebuds), sticky rice was one of the dishes we learned how to make… but instead of packing it neatly into a banana leaf purse, they placed each serving on a plate and garnished it with toasted beans and slices of mango.

While we were taught to actual sticky rice, I usually use Jasmine, or fragrant rice, as it’s more readily available (though it doesn’t clump together like sticky rice does). If you do choose to use sticky rice, remember to soak it for at least half an hour before cooking it. I also opt for light coconut milk to reduce a bit of the fat content.

Have you ever had sticky rice?

Mango Sticky Rice
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup cold water
1 cup Jasmine rice
1 can light coconut milk
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 mango, sliced

Instructions:
1) Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2) In a small saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 4 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

3) Stir the sauce into the rice, cover, and let site for at least 30 minutes. Serve immediately with mango slices, or refrigerate until ready to serve.