Vinie Keattikul: Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)

In case you haven't noticed, Asian restaurant menus don't really include a lot of dessert.  Sugar is a limited-quantity, limited-availability kind of thing.  If you do get a dessert, it's normally a European-style cake (although this, too, normally has almost no sugar in it, which is disconcerting to say the least).  So when I was first introduced to Thai food, I didn't exactly expect to find anything appealingly sweet.  Boy, was I wrong.  This dessert, a perfect combination of sticky rice, syrupy coconut, and sweet mango, is just about my favorite thing.  I have seriously considered skipping the dinner altogether (and I'm all about some green curry) and just moving on to the finale.

Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)
From Vinie Keattikul

2 cups sweet (glutinous) rice
2 pandan leaves (optional)
1½ cups coconut milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

Wash rice several times to remove starch. Cover with water in a medium bowl, and soak for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. Steam sticky rice with pandan leaves for 30 to 35 minutes.

While rice is cooking, combine 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, and salt. Cook the sauce over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. When rice is done, combine cooked rice and sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Let stand for 45 minutes.

Combine remaining ½ cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir together over medium heat until sugar melts (or microwave for about 10 seconds to warm). To serve, scoop a mound of rice onto a dish, spoon sauce over the rice, and place sliced mango on the side.

Makes 6 servings