A sweet dish from Southeast Asia, khao niaow mak muang is a Lao and Thai dessert, where sticky rice in a sweetened coconut sauce is served with a side of yellow, ripened mangoes and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice
- 2 cups water
- 1-2 sweet, ripened mangoes
- 2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 1/2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 tsp white sesame seeds
Steps
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Add the sticky rice into a medium-sized bowl. This will prepare the rice for rinsing and will help store the uncooked rice before it is steamed.
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2Rinse the rice in the bowl 2-3 times until the water appears clear. After the bowl is almost filled with water, gently stir the rice in a circular motion before pouring out the water. Repeat until the rice water looks almost transparent.
- Rinsing the rice is intended to clean out some of the cloudy and opaque water before steaming.
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Soak the rice in water for about 4 hours to overnight. As the rice sits in the water, it can be kept outside on the counter. It is recommended that the rice bowl is covered with a lid of some sort or a large plate to prevent any particles from sitting atop the rice.
- Soaking the rice allows for it to become soft and sticky when cooked, and helps to avoid an uncooked texture.
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Pour out the rice water and steam the rice in a bamboo steamer basket for 20-30 minutes. The steamer will be placed over a pot that is filled with water just below the steamer without coming into contact with it. Place a lid over the steamer and flip the rice when it is halfway through steaming.
- Flipping the rice will allow for it to cook evenly.
- Covering the bamboo steamer basket will trap in heat and steam to allow for the rice to cook and soften.
- The rice can also be cooked in a strainer or colander over a pot while still ensuring that the rice is covered and will not fall through any holes and into the water below.
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Place the cooked sticky rice in a bowl or keep it in the steamer. Place a cover over the rice so that heat and warmth are retained. This will keep the rice soft so that it does not become dry from being exposed to air.
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Combine coconut milk, condensed milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Gently stir the mixture until it has a thicker consistency. This will keep the mixture smooth and prevent any clumps from forming.
- Condensed milk can be an optional ingredient, as it just adds a little more sweetness.
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Separate the coconut mixture, keeping half in the saucepan and the rest in a small bowl. Mix in the tapioca flour in increments into the saucepan until the mixture has a slightly thicker consistency. All of the flour does not have to be used, but it can continuously be mixed in, depending on one's preference for sauce texture.
- Gently stir the sauce in order to keep the coconut milk and tapioca flour from solidifying and becoming clumpy.
- It is ideal to have coconut sauce that is both thick and smooth, where it is not too watery.
- Turn off the heat and allow for the sauce to cool down.
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Transfer the cooked rice into a bowl and pour in the coconut mixture from the small bowl. Allow for the rice to sit and soak in the mixture for about 1 hour. Occasionally, stir the rice in order for the coconut mixture to be thoroughly soaked in the sticky rice.
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Peel the skin from the mangoes, and cut the fruit. Cut the mangoes into thin slices along the long side of the mango.
- Sweet and ripe mangoes, such as Ataulfo mangoes, help balance out both the sweet and subtle salty flavors of the dessert.
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Place the sliced mangoes and rice onto a plate. The slices of mango can be organized around, on the side, or on top of the coconut rice.
- Placing the mango slices on the side or around the rice will allow for the sweet coconut sauce to be distributed evenly over the coconut sticky rice.
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Drizzle the sweet coconut sauce from the saucepan over the sticky rice and mangoes. This can be done by gently pouring the sauce over the dessert or by using a spoon.
- Using a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the rice and mango slices will allow more control over how much of the sweet coconut sauce is wanted.
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Sprinkle the white sesame seeds over the dessert. This will add a slight crunchiness to the dish.
- Black sesame seeds or split yellow mung beans can also be used as garnish.
- Shredded coconut can be used to add texture and enhance the coconut flavor of the dessert.
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Warnings
- Use a cloth or oven mittens when flipping the sticky rice to avoid the hot steam.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Saucepan
- Bowls
- Bamboo steamer, strainer, or colander
- Pot
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board
- Fruit peeler
- Knife
About this article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 805 times.
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