Whenever we go out for Thai food, I always order the same thing: the pad kee mao noodles. After a big plate of spicy, garlicky drunken noodles, I’ll longingly eye the mango sticky rice on the dessert menu, but I’ll be too stuffed to eat another bite. Since my mom knows my deep, serious love for sweet mangos over coconut sticky rice, she showed me how to make it myself, and it’s now at the top of my list of easy-to-make desserts. The key is to find really ripe, really sweet mangos, and the rest is history.  This week I ate it for breakfast a few times and the combo of the fruit and rice was so refreshing.

Mango Sticky Rice
(by my Mom)

Serves 4-6

2 cups sweet rice, soaked overnight
1/2 can (about 7 oz) coconut milk
1/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 mangos, peeled and sliced

Rinse and soak rice in water overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Fill the bottom part of a double steamer (mine looks like this) with water and bring to a boil. Drain the rice into the middle of a cheesecloth, creating a little pouch, and wring out extra water. Place second level of steamer (the one with the holes in it) on top of the bottom part and place the cheesecloth/rice pouch into it. Cover the rice with the loose ends of the cheesecloth so that the entire pouch is tucked neatly inside. Cover with a lid and steam for 20 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, mix coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

When rice is done, remove it from the cheesecloth and place into a bowl. Cover with 3/4 of the coconut sauce and mix until rice is coated.

Serve with fresh, ripe mango slices. Right after plating, drizzle remaining sauce over rice.