Sweet mango over coconut sticky rice (one of my all time favorite desserts!)

Luckily I married into a family that has taught me much about food. Especially when it comes to THAI food. Oh how I love it! Even my kids first choice is "The thai restaurant", yes seriously over McDonald's!

Here is such a sweet sinful dessert. It is by no means an "authentic" recipe, but it is just as delicious. I took a short cut and learned how to make delicious sticky rice in the microwave. I don't know about you but I seriously do not have room for one more gadget (in this case a rice steaming basket) in my kitchen.

This is one of a few things that I tend to overeat, I simply can not put it down MMM!

Here is what you'll need:

package sticky rice (found in oriental markets)

1-2 ripe mangos, peel and sliced into strips (look for mangos that are fragrant and squeeze easily )


1/2 cup sugar

1 can good-quality coconut milk

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. coconut flavoring/extract

1 tsp. vanilla (this will tint the sauce lightly, you may omit)

2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

Microwave method for sticky rice

Soak the sticky rice for 10 minutes in warm water in a bowl. Soaking the rice is very important. I have tried this method without soaking the rice first and it was disastrous. The rice was undercooked and inedible. The water level should be just above the rice, which comes out to be 1 cup of rice and a little over 1 cup of water (about 10% more). I recommend using a non-plastic container because you may melt the plastic in the microwave. I used corning ware with a glass lid. Cover the bowl with a dish and cook in microwave at full power 3 minutes. Stir the rice around to move the rice from the top to the bottom. You will notice that some of the rice is translucent or cooked and some still has white center or the uncooked portion.


Heat it up again for another 3 minutes. Check and see if it is done. When cooked, all the rice should be translucent no longer stark white. I prefer it to still have a good texture. If it needs more cooking, I recommend heating up and checking every 3 minutes or so. How long it takes to cook really depends on your microwave.

For the coconut sauce

To make the sauce, warm the can of coconut milk together with 1/2 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, 2 tsp. coconut flavoring (optional) and 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring over medium heat (5 minutes).


Add cornstarch (dissolved in the water) to the sauce and stir to thicken it slightly. As it thickens, turn down heat to low. When thickened, remove from heat. Tip: Do not boil the sauce, or you will lose that wonderful coconut flavor.

Before serving, taste-test the sauce for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired. If too sweet for your taste, add a little more coconut milk.

Place scoops of the sticky rice in bowls (Note that sticky rice can be served cold, warm, or at room temperature, as desired). I like it warm. Ladle a generous amount of warm coconut sauce over the rice (creating an “island” of sticky rice). Add slices/pieces of ripe fresh mango.
Don't be angry at me when you to can not put it down!
Enjoy KCL