Mango with Coconut Sticky Rice

This dessert is a lot simpler to make than I thought. Who knew that there were specific rice grains meant to be sticky? (I didn't.) I think next time I make this, I'd want to add some toasted sesame seeds to the top as a garnish. That would give it a little extra something. As for the measurements in this recipe, the salt and sugar portions are guestimations. When I was making this, I kept adding pinches of salt/sugar and tasting the concoction til I got a good blend of salty/sweet. Keep in mind that you'll be pouring that coconut milk over the rice, so having a stronger flavor prior to the pour is good since the flavor will diminish slightly once the coconut milk is poured over the rice.

Ingredients:

1 mango, sliced

1 cup of sticky rice

1 cup of coconut milk

1 tsp of salt, to taste

2 tbsp of sugar, to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak the sticky rice in water for at least an hour. (My mom says this isn't really necessary, but we did it anyway since we were busy preparing the other dishes.)

2. Steam* the sticky rice for about 20-30 minutes until cooked. Water should just cover the sticky rice. When the rice is done, it should taste soft, and there shouldn't be any hard bits.

3. When the rice is almost done, prepare the coconut milk. In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly and let the coconut milk simmer, BUT NOT BOIL. Hard-boiled coconut milk will curdle. Add sugar and salt. Remove from the heat. Take the cooked sticky rice out of the steaming apparatus. Pour 3/4 of the hot coconut milk over the hot sticky rice. Let it sit for 5 min. (The sticky rice will absorb all of the coconut milk; it should be slightly mushy. Spoon the rest of the coconut milk on top of the rice at serving time.

4. Serve with sliced mango.

*Steaming: For me, I used a large wok, put a dim sum steamer at the bottom, and filled it with water til the water rose to seven-tenths the height of the steamer. If you don't have a steamer, you can use an overturned china bowl. I placed my bowl of rice on top of the steamer, and put a lid on the wok. You could also steam using the built-in steamer in most rice cookers or pasta pots.